How to Seduce the Unwilling Asshole
by AngelicKat445
Summary: 5 friends dare each other to seduce a man of each other's choosing. Blaise/OC, Draco/OC, Ron/OC, Harry/OC, Neville/OC. T for pre-smut and numerous insinuations!
1. Provoke

"So, what'll it be this year?"

Eryn Winters gently twirled a ringlet of dirty blonde around her finger. Her light blue eyes were overlooking her group of friends, gathered in a meadow. They were lightly shaded from the blistering sun by a tall oak tree, letting off a dark shadow that kept us cool.

Rose Carson was propped up against the trunk, with a pen in her right hand and an arm in the left. Next to her, Kenzie Thorne was watching Rose doodle on her forearm. Annabelle Hawkins was flipping through a magazine, and Sam Calloway was fixing the neckline of her low-cut tank top. No one looked up from what they were doing when Eryn spoke. She cleared her throat, catching their attention.

"Well?" she repeated. Sam rose an eyebrow.

"Well what?" she snapped. "This year's what?" She began patting up her breasts, feeling to make sure that the push-up part of her bra was properly adjusted. All girls rolled their eyes.

"What'll this year's dare be?" Eryn insisted. Sam shrugged, though the question wasn't really directed towards her in specific.

"I don't know," Rose groaned, capping the pen and placing it in Kenzie's palm.

"Let's do something fun!" Sam suggested. Annabelle flicked a page of her magazine, and sighed.

"We always do something fun," she replied casually. "We've gotta find something interesting that'll make our year awesome."

"Let's all streak!" Kenzie suggested. Everyone eyed her. "What? It'd be fun! Every night, we should streak around the castle!"

"That's a little messed," Annabelle commented, smiling nonetheless. Kenzie shrugged, pushing some of her brown-blonde hair behind her ear.

"No," Eryn said with a tone of finality. "We are not streaking."

"I think it's a great idea!" Sam piped up.

"You think having sex for money is a great idea, too," Rose muttered. Sam smiled flirtatiously, giving her friends her most winning smile. The one she used to lure men in, then strip them, screw them, and take some of their money. She was a good person underneath the slutty exterior, you just had to get to know her.

Silence ensued between the girls, and only the wind could be heard. Kenzie held a white dandelion; the seeds flew off, dancing in the breeze. Every girl watched with little, complacent interest. It was beautiful, peaceful, the perfect August afternoon.

They were a truly unlikely group. Linked together from one fateful afternoon, three days before they were all going to head to their first year at Hogwarts. They met at thrift store. Kenzie was entering with some things she wanted to give. Eryn was looking in the book section. Rose was looking for something to wear. Annabelle and Sam were both dragged there against their will by their parents. Kenzie took back a pile of clothes an adult had asked of her, just as Rose, Emma, and Sam came out of the dressing room, and Eryn entered beside Kenzie, her nose stuck in a book. They toppled onto each other, and immediately bonded.

And six years later, as they entered their sixth year, they were just as inseparable. And less uncoordinated. Except Kenzie, who would forever remain a little bit klutzy.

"Well, we're sixteen now, so I think we should be doing something a bit more…mature," Sam sighed.

"We're not streaking," Eryn warned. Kenzie laughed a bit.

Sam was the slut. The bit of the group that would forever like sex. She wasn't always a provocative dresser. Hell no, she wasn't slutty when it came to clothes. It was only mentally and verbally when she wanted to be. But though she wasn't slutty, she was colourful. Her favourite shoes were a pair of bright yellow rubber boots. Her eccentric shade choices complimented her sultry looks well. With dark auburn-brown waves, a fair complexion, and two beautiful blue eyes, as well as being beautifully shaped and quite tall, most guys would've died for her. She was perfect.

"No, we need something less obvious of her to do," Annabelle commented, grinning. Sam stuck her tongue out, to which the former girl mimicked.

Annabelle was the fashionista. She loved shopping, loved clothing, loved anything having to do with clothing. Her magazine was filled with a thousand different styles that she loved to envy and take into account. She loved colors, too, but liked the more toned-down playing of it. Instead of jeans and graphic tees, she wore image tops and shorts, and flip flops. And she pulled it off well. Like Sam, she was very tall, but had more of a curl than a wave to her dark auburn hair. Her complexion was fair, often complimented with makeup. She, too, had blue eyes, and gorgeous curves. She was perfect.

"How about shots?" Kenzie quipped. "We all have to take shots every weekend."

A look passed through the group, and Rose groaned.

"No, please don't -"

"_SHOTS! SHOTS! SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS! SHOTS! SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS, SHOTS!_"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Rose was the bitch. She didn't like to be woken up in the morning, she didn't like going to sleep at night. She was spiteful and mean to anyone who pissed her off, and she wasn't afraid to kick anyone's asses, whether they be student or teacher. But she was a very happy person to her friends, no matter how dark and depressing she acted on the outside, or feigned in her writing and reading choices. And her attire fit that, what with oversized shirts of charcoal and dark sweats and jeans. She had exceptionally long blonde hair, dark brown eyes - the only contrast to the blue of the rest of her friends - and fair skin. Glasses sat on her nose. She was perfect.

"Fine, we won't do shots."

"Good."

Kenzie stuck her tongue out childishly, and made to flip her the bird, but she fell, rolling in the high grass until her head was near Eryn's knee. While her friends laughed, she grinned sheepishly.

Kenzie was the dinosaur. Odd, yes. Eccentric, yes. Awesome, very. A bit of a klutz, and just as wonderfully rainbow as Sam, though maybe a bit more toned down. She adored her skinny jeans and graphic tees, as well as sneakers. She was a bit random, too. Average height - just a bit taller than Rose, who stood at five foot three - and curves in all the right places gave off the vibe that she was the forbidden fruit. (And her friends never let her forget that she had rather large tits). Her dirty blonde-brown hair was always kept in a low bun, and her light blue eyes looked tinted with green in certain light. She was perfect.

"I've got it!" Everyone looked at Eryn now. If she had an idea, it would probably go over pretty damn well. Or end in complete travesty. One extreme or the other, no middle ground with her.

Eryn was the owl. Wise in an odd way, though she had her random spurts just like Kenzie. Plus she loved the animal. She was intelligent, no doubt of that, yet easily sidetracked, unless you set her on something she was extremely keen on doing. Like homework. Or a cursed girly bomb (when it exploded, it quickly did your makeup, hair, and gave you a little pink dress). You probably wouldn't think she was smart by a sidelong glance. Blonde ringlets of curls just grazed her shoulder blades, as well as a pair of innocent blue eyes (HA! Yeah right). She was just shy of being the same height as Kenzie and Rose, and as thin as Sam, if not thinner. She was perfect.

"Oh, God," Annabelle sighed a bit, making Eryn kick her lightly. The taller girl smiled playfully. "Just teasing."

"What's your awesome idea?" Kenzie prompted whiningly. Eryn took a deep breath, prolonging the dramatic effect.

"We each have to seduce someone," she finally said. Rose wrinkled her nose in distaste.

"Thanks, but no thanks. Sam does enough seducing for all of us," she said. But everyone else quickly became intrigued with the thought.

"I like it," Kenzie commented. "But I think we should all decide who the other people should seduce."

"Awesome! Let's start with Rose, since she's so unhappy about it," Annabelle smirked. Rose gave her the finger.

"Rose should seduce…um…" Everyone lapsed into thought, before an idea fell on Sam's lips. She looked deviously interested in the person in her mind.

"Ronald Weasley," she finished. "It's perfect! They don't hate each other, but there's no real mutual liking between them, either. Plus, Ron's thick as wood, and Rose has no sex appeal."

"Ouch!" Kenzie said for her friend, who didn't look that offended. Sam shrugged. And so, Rose had to seduce Ron.

"Next, Annabelle."

"Dean Thomas?" Eryn piped up. Sam shook her head.

"No, I hear Ginny Weasley is dating him at the moment, and though I really hate that bitch, she's got a bad temper. Almost as bad as Rose's can be. I don't think Annabelle should cross that."

"So…how about…Blaise Zabini," Kenzie thought aloud. Everyone aside from Annabelle nodded eagerly, quite excited to see what it would be like between the two who had never exchanged a single word.

"Sam…_shit_, this is going to be difficult," Eryn groaned.

That was so true. Sam could really have any guy at the drop of a hat. She usually did. It was a skill she had mastered through much seduction of her own. Their difficulty was finding someone who she either had no chance of getting, or would just make the getting difficult as fuck.

"I know," Rose said deviously. Even for her. Everyone eyed the blonde sceptically. "Neville Longbottom."

"Oh, God, that's a good one!" Kenzie laughed. Sam made a slight face at the name.

"Ugh, Neville," she shuddered, before moving on. Eryn was next.

"Harry," every girl aside from the one in question chorused. She turned bright pink, and looked morally offended.

"No! I love Harry! I'm not going to use his for this!"

"Too bad," Annabelle snapped. "He's been chosen. You must seduce Harry Potter."

"Fine," she grumbled. Lastly, Kenzie. This shouldn't have been difficult, yet it was.

"Someone hard for her to get -"

"Nearly impossible, really -"

"Who hates her -"

"And she hates in return."

All of them had the exact same thought. Kenzie even knew who they'd choose, and she widened her eyes.

"No way," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. But all the rest nodded.

"Draco Malfoy," they all said in harmony. She whined, falling into the grass. They laughed.

"You're pathetic," Rose chuckled. Kenzie shrugged.

"So, the term are," Eryn stated, catching their attention again, "that each girl must seduce the boy in question to the point of a kiss -"

"Except for Sam, who has to screw Neville," Rose piped up. They all looked at her. "A kiss is too easy for Sam. We need to make it harder."

"Fine, kiss for all except Sam, who needs to screw him. If you fail to reach your point by the deadline of the last day of school, you'll be thrown into the Black Lake by the rest of us bare naked."

"I thought we weren't streaking," Kenzie harrumphed. They shushed her with a glare.

"Anyways, that's that. Agreed?"

She put her hand in the middle, and it was soon piled on top of with the rest of the girl's.

"Agreed."


	2. Aboard

**So I realize that I didn't explain this story in the last chapter :) I was rushing out the door when I published it, so that's my excuse for the time being :)**

**Anywhoozles, it's about five friends (me and my four, in fact) named Kenzie Thorne (_see profile_), Eryn Winters (_see profile_), Annabelle Hawkins, Sam Calloway, and me, Rose Carson. We are all exceptionally different with small similarities, yet somehow we make it work out :) cause we bffls!**

**We all kinda have our little crushes on HP characters (seeing as Eryn, Kenzie, and I are hugeass HP nerds). Mine is Ron, Kenzie's is Draco, and Eryn's is Harry. Lol um Annabelle doesn't really read, but she likes the sound of Blaise Zabini, and Sam is with Neville, cause they're opposites.**

**And I'm happy that so many people are interested in this. So I shan't take up any more of your time! Read on!**

* * *

><p>Kenzie woke to a warm sun peaking through the windows. She peaked open an eyelid, letting it fill her being with it's sweet heat, until she finally felt the urge to leave the sanctuary. Throwing her legs over the edge of the mattress, she rose, stretching in the process, and slipped her feet into a pair of tall gray and white striped slipper boots.<p>

She took a quick look in the mirror, finding her reflection to be what was expected. Brown-blonde hair a mess, having stayed in the bun from last night. Blue eyes slightly sleepy, yet awakening more with each second. Body clothed in a black Alice in Wonderland tee reading _SMILE _with the Cheshire cat on it, along with a pair of black shorts. All in all, she could look better, though her friends would disagree.

Leisurely, she walked down the hall, deciding to eat something. The staircase led directly to the main hallway, off of which was the living room which connected to the dining room. She wasn't surprised to find Annabelle, Eryn, and Sam already sitting there, or that the clock read nine-thirty in the morning. Sitting down, she pulled a piece of toast off the plate and into her mouth.

"Morning," she mumbled sleepily through the slightly burnt bread. The others nodded, mulling over their cereal. It was then that Kenzie noticed a can of fruit medley and a can opener lying in the middle of the table.

Snatching it up before anyone else could, she quickly opened the can, stuck her spoon in, and grinned at the taste. A can of fruit was possibly one of her favourite breakfasts. The other girls rolled their eyes.

"You know I love you, but you are really weird," Eryn commented pointedly. Kenzie shrugged, and took another mouthful of fruit.

They remained quiet for a short while, thinking about the day ahead. It was September 1st. The day they'd all leave Annabelle's beautiful home where they'd stayed for all of August and go to Hogwarts. They're real home. Of course, as it was nine-thirty, the girls should've been getting ready to leave, packing and whatnot. But they'd never been very good at doing what they were told.

"Where's Rose?" Annabelle suddenly piqued up, looking curiously around. Sam shrugged.

"Probably still asleep," she replied nonchalantly. "Lazy."

"Well, we have to get her up," Eryn prompted. They looked at her like she was insane. "What?"

"Do you poke a sleeping dragon with a stick?" Kenzie asked as though Eryn were three years old. The latter girl shook her head slowly. "Then you've just answered your own question."

"But -"

"We are not waking Rose up. She'll murder us and feed our scraps to one of Hagrid's pets!" Annabelle hissed. "I don't want to die that way!"

"Oh, grow up!" Eryn snapped. "She isn't going to kill us! She'd kill anyone else who woke her, but not us. She loves us too much." Everyone eyed her sceptically, and were soon enough shoved back upstairs to Rose's guest room.

She was lying on her belly beneath twenty comforters, two pillows propped under her head. Light snores, so quiet that you'd miss them if you mad any sound yourself, elicited from the lump beneath the mass of sheets. Eryn slowly crept in, the others following her in a line. She gave a quick look-over of the mess, took a deep breath, and pounced.

Rose groaned loudly, and merely shoved the blankets over her body. However, this caused said blanket to be yanked out from under Eryn, making her tumble onto the floor. Sam stifled a laugh.

"Told you she'd have her revenge," she giggled. Eryn grumbled, stood up, and stripped Rose of her blankets. She quickly cradled herself into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest. She shivered violently in only a shirt and shorts.

"Time to get up, lazy ass!" Kenzie sighed, dropping down next to her. Rose groaned louder and repeatedly. Kenzie rolled her eyes. "Shut it. Now get up and get dressed."

Eryn swept the mess of blonde hair from Rose's face to see her sleepy eyes. A sound of fake pity escaped her lips, to which Rose slapped her stomach.

"Get up! Get dressed! Brush your teeth! Brush your hair! Then get down the stairs and get the hell in the car!" Annabelle ordered. All four girls helped shove Rose into a sitting position.

"_But I don't wanna_!" she whined loudly.

"Don't care," they all said in unison.

And so Rose was thrown into a chair while the other girls ran out and locked the door until she was decent. She growled loudly before deciding to just go along with their plan. She would have to get up sooner or later.

* * *

><p>"Done?" Kenzie asked, knocking lightly. Rose opened the door - which was barricaded on the outside, even though the door opened inwardly - and finished braiding her hair. Kenzie smiled. "Lovely."<p>

Grabbing hold of her trunks, Rose made her way down the staircase, dropping them near everyone else's. Most of the girls were staring ahead, bored, waiting for Annabelle to exit the bathroom.

"Hurry up!" Rose screamed down the hall, still in a bad morning mood. Surprisingly, Annabelle exited, looking fairly okay with her appearance. They all looked into the large mirror on the wall.

"God, I hate this skirt," Sam mumbled, fixing the hem of the aforementioned jean skirt. Eryn rolled her eyes.

"Then why'd you wear it?" she snapped. They all began to move to the car waiting to pick them up, driven by Annabelle's mother. Stuffing their shit in the back (which was magically enlarged), their quickly climbed inside, getting comfortable.

The drive to King's Cross was quiet enough. No one really had much to say. They were all too antsy thinking about the coming year. And their endeavour to seduce a bunch of unwilling assholes.

"Do we have to -" Sam was cut over by everyone else's glares, to which she leaned farther into the cushion of the seat.

All were thankful to exit the crowded vehicle, even with magical enhancements in space. They practically fell onto the pavement and grabbed their bags out of the back. Thanking Annabelle's mom, they headed towards the train station.

"God, I forgot how much I love trains," Rose sighed, breathing deeply. In the process, she caught a whiff of a nearby café. "Can I get a coffee?"

"What time is it?" Sam asked, looking at the towering face reading Roman numerals.

"Ten forty-five," Kenzie informed. Rose tossed her stuff on the ground and raced to the dead café. Kenzie rolled her eyes.

"I don't think she can properly function without coffee in the morning," she commented casually. Three minutes later, Rose arrived back, holding her heaven in a mug. She passed it under everyone's noses, making Kenzie gag.

"I fucking love coffee," Rose murmured, taking a sip.

"We know, not get your ass on the train! Or we won't make it to Hogwarts!" Eryn chastised, and they all hurried.

They did, in fact, arrive, and with four minutes to spare. Each girl boarded the train after the other, and began to look for an empty compartment.

Of course, having arrived with only four minutes to spare, it was a lost battle before it even began. Every single compartment was filled, and if not filled, held quite a number of people, too many for all five of them to be able to sit together. It finally came down to the last straw, the one they really didn't want to draw.

"Looks like we're gonna have to split up," Eryn sighed. "Rose and I will go to one that held Harry, Ron, and Hermione -"

"Oh, I'm sure you will," Kenzie chuckled, elbowing Annabelle, who laughed as well. Eryn glared spitefully.

"Yeah, it'll give you both a chance to work your guys a bit," Sam giggled.

"Go suck Kenzie's dick with Brussels sprouts," Rose hissed. "The dick that she don't have." Eryn and her quickly wandered off, leaving Annabelle, Kenzie, and Sam to finish giggling.

"Well, Sam and I will head off in that direction, too," Annabelle sighed. "You'll be okay alone, right?" Kenzie nodded.

"I'll be fine. Just mourning the fact that my friends ditched me." She wiped away fake tears, making her friends roll their eyes.

"Kay, love you! See you at Hogwarts!"

Kenzie dragged her suitcase towards the only train cars left: Slytherin. Her House.

She really dreaded the people whom were placed with her. They were all the same: power-hungry, unkind, lowlife dipshits who loved more than anything to cause others pain, especially if they gained something from it. She was placed in Slytherin for some reason beyond her. Maybe because, as all her friends told her, she was exceptionally clever, and good at getting what she wanted.

Although in Rose's opinion, she didn't resemble a graceful, slithering snake. More of an awkward, clumsy tortoise who rolled on his shell and couldn't go back upright. Just lying there, flailing his little arms and legs about pathetically.

Yes, Rose truly loved Kenzie.

She shimmied past numerous filled compartments, unable to find one she was able to slide into inconspicuously. It wasn't until she reached near the very back of the last car that she came across a place only holding three people.

Except, she hated those three people. The first was small, shorter than Kenzie herself, with a black bob and a pug-like face. The second was black, his hair shaved close to his head, and a scowl permanently on his face. The last was her most hated enemy, with platinum blonde hair, and gray eyes.

"Shit," she groaned.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm lovely in the mornings, no? So, there we are. Review? I'll sic Kenzie and Eryn on you!<strong>


	3. Embark

**Wow, three updates in three days :) I'm happy with myself! I'll be going to Moncton this weekend, so no updates then, but till that time, enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Get out."<p>

Kenzie rolled her eyes. "Look, I'm no happier than you are, but everywhere else is filled. This is the only compartment with some space left."

"Don't care, get out," Draco Malfoy ordered. She shook her head defiantly, and Pansy Parkinson whined. It was almost comical to Kenzie, the way she sounded exactly like a pug wanting to be let out of the house to take a piss. She should be let out.

"_Draaaaaaacy-Pooooooooo_!" she cried loudly. Everyone winced. "I don't want the filthy Mudblood in our compartment!"

"Neither do I," he seethed through clenched teeth. I stuck my tongue out, shoving my suitcase up into the overhead compartment. It didn't go past his notice, the way that both Blaise and Draco caught a glimpse of her lower back, as her tee had ridden up to expose the fair flesh.

And Pansy's jealous glare was plainly caught as well.

Plopping down across from Draco and to the right of Blaise, she leaned against the wall, letting the train's rocking, jerky movements bounce her head up and down. The oddly gray atmosphere, so unlike the usual September - especially since all of her friend's birthdays were in September, though they'd celebrated last month - that was filled with vibrant gold and red, matched her mood. She really didn't want to be there.

"Dracy-Poo," Pansy started again, her voice just as annoying though slightly quieter. "Tell me more about your summer in Dubai."

She perked up a bit. _So, Malfoy and his richy-rich parents went to one of the most expensive vacation spots for the summer? No surprise there_, she thought dully. Probably _flaunting their rich white money everywhere_.

"It was probably the most enriching experience of my life," he sighed, as though the thought bored him. I could plainly hear the sarcasm, but Pansy didn't, and she squealed with excitement.

"There's a mall there, you know!"

"Yes, though it's hardly the size of Diagon Alley. Not nearly as clean." Kenzie let out a bark of laughter. "Not that _you _would know clean, Thorne. You're blood is as filthy as the ground you walk on in the pathetic little hovel I easily believe you live in."

She rolled her eyes, unfazed by his pathetic excuse of an insult. He easily went back to telling Pansy about Dubai.

It was possibly the most boring thing she'd ever done. The only times she moved or said a word were to laugh at his fake words, or to go to the washroom. The latter only happened once, but she could still feel the guys staring relentlessly at her ass. Pansy cleared her throat to no avail, and Kenzie shimmied out quicker than before.

She looked in the mirror, facing her tired and bored reflection. After washing her hands, she retied her hair up into a low bun and straightened out her plain black tee reading _STAY CALM AND KILL ZOMBIES_. They matched her ripped up sky blue skinnies and white blood-splattered sneakers quite well.

"Fuck, this is gonna be a long trip," she groaned, and splashed cold water on her face.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Harry," Rose sighed as she and Eryn shimmied into the compartment. "Don't mind if we sit here, do you?" Of course, she was already stocking the shelves with their stuff, so he couldn't very well say no. Not that he really wanted to.<p>

After all, Eryn was there. And that made everything better for him.

"Morning, Hermione," Eryn sighed, plopping down next to her and closest to the window. Of course, that left the empty spot to the left of Ron. Rose shot Eryn a dirty look, to which the darker blonde merely shrugged.

"Good morning, Eryn," Hermione replied, smiling a bit. She looked at Rose with distaste. "Rosaline."

"Hermy-own," Rose snapped.

"You know that's not my name."

"You know that's not mine."

"Okay," Harry cut over, turning slightly pink when Eryn looked at him imploringly.

Silence fell over the quintet, all of whom were looking anywhere but at each other. Rose made herself comfortable, smoothing out her clothes and leaning into the cushiony chair.

She wore a dark gray tank top and a black knit long-sleeve sweater that hung off her small frame. Beneath the shirt was a pair of ripped up dark jean Capri's and black combat boots, well-worn. Eryn, who sat in front of her, was donning a white tee with an owl on it wearing glasses. Her light jeans and Ed Hardy zip-up-at-back converse matched the rest perfectly.

Rose eyed Harry curiously, wishing to take in the movements between her friend and her bestie. Harry had met Rose on the first day of school, running straight into him as he boarded the train. The thing he liked about her was that she didn't look shocked or scared, and her eyes never once strayed to his forehead. She was just a bit cool on the outside.

He took her with him to find a free compartment. Along the way, they literally fell over and met Eryn Winters, who was positively bursting with energy and turned beet red at the sight of Harry. Rose and her became fast friends, as did she and Harry, but Rose - and later the rest of Eryn's friends - were the only ones who knew about their crushes for each other. It was so painfully obvious sometimes that all of them were amazed at the other's patience.

"Candy from the trolley?" an elderly lady's voice suddenly asked, shaking Rose from her reverie. Harry and Eryn both nodded.

"Wanna get me a couple Jelly Slugs?" Rose asked both of them sweetly. In unison, they rolled their eyes, then blushed.

"Sure -"

"Save your money," Harry cut over her, making her eyes go wide. "I'll get it."

Rose attempted not to squeal in excitement. This was the closest they'd ever gotten in terms of romantic inclination. If only Kenzie, Sam, and Annabelle could see it.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Luna," Annabelle smiled, sitting down next to her. The dreamy blonde grinned.<p>

"Oh, hello, Annabelle," she sighed. "And hello, Samantha."

"Sam, please, Luna," Sam corrected, though the grin never left her face. Sam and Luna, both being Ravenclaw's though one was younger than the other, had formed a special friendship that no one really understood. It stuck down to principle, and the fact that neither were true realists.

"And Neville," Annabelle added with a bit of sympathy. He smiled gently, and shoved farther over to the window when Sam plopped down next to him. Everyone in the room distinctly noticed a slight change in the air. A change that wouldn't lead anywhere good.

"Nice day," he commented dully, lying through his teeth. After all, the sky and mood were gray and a bit dreary. Annabelle's birthday was only two days away, and she really hoped that the weather would bloom a bit better for her.

"Hardly, love," Sam replied. Annabelle and Luna watched as her slender hand gently touched his knee, to which he shivered and backed away a bit. Sam's eyebrows knit together, confused.

And she had a reason. Most men would've purred at her touch, and later ended up in a broom closet, her with them. But not Neville. He quivered at human touch. Tried to push away anyone who got too close. And most people knew the reason: his parents.

But Sam quickly decided not to delve into that. It would be something of little consequence in this conquest to attain Neville's (most likely) virginity. At least, she prayed her words were true.

"You don't have to run, Neville," Annabelle comforted. He jumped at his name. "Sam's attempting to be civil. She's been a bit of a downer, almost turned into Rose. We thought someone had put some kind of spell on her just to piss us off."

Luna cracked a smile, but Neville just stared at her for a while, then turned his head back to the bland landscape. Sam rolled her light blue eyes, groaning a bit and rested her chin in her hand.

* * *

><p>"You?" Rose gawked, to which Ron was highly affronted by. "Really? I mean, Hermy-own I can understand, but you? What the fuck is Dumbledore thinking, making you a prefect?"<p>

"You can take the needle out now," Ron mumbled. Rose shrugged as Eryn shuddered at the word _needle_. She hated needles.

"Thanks, but no thanks," she smirked. He rolled his eyes.

"You suck."

"Suck what?"

"Oh, grow up," Harry chastised. The two crossed their arms and looked off sulkily. "I understand you don't really like each other, but can you not fight? Or at least fight when I'm a safe distance away from Rose? She has fairly good aim."

"Speaking of aim," Eryn interrupted before Rose could rebuttal, "You said something about Quidditch captain?"

Harry looked embarrassedly pleased, but the proud grin never left his pink face. "You are looking at this year's Gryffindor Quidditch team captain," he said confidently. Eryn smiled.

"Nice one! Wanna reserve a spot on the team for Rose?" He pulled a face of shock that was so obviously fake.

"I can't do that! It would be biased!"

"I know, I know," Eryn mumbled. "Just wait till Hufflepuff beats all your asses in the tournament!" She stuck out her hand, to which Harry gripped.

"I look forward to wiping you bumblebees on the field."

* * *

><p><strong>Bumblees :) fun fun fun! Anywhoozles, review please? LOVE YOU FOREVER!<strong>


	4. Jollification

**Sorry for being late! I'm lazy, soooo...yeah :)**

**And did I mention that in this, none of the Dark Lord shit happened? No Draco killing Dumbledore, no Room of Requirement Lost Items Whatever, no nothing like that. It's what a normal year would've been like for Harry if he wasn't the Chosen One. So, imagine that there's an 8th year and everything in 6th year is pushed to 7th, and 7th to 8th. Leaving 6th to be free and careless! YAY!**

**Off to see the buskers this week! :D**

* * *

><p>"Firs' years, this way!"<p>

Annabelle smiled at the familiar sound of Hagrid calling all the first years. In the back of her mind, she still remembered her first boat ride to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Kenzie had been in her rowboat, and being the klutz she is, she knocked it over, sending Annabelle, Rose, Eryn, Sam, and herself into the Black Lake.

"'Ello, Belle!" Hagrid called over the hustle and bustle of students. She waved at him in return, and began to follow the stream of people.

Near the place where the carriages stood, starting to wheel away children, she leaned up against a tall, particularly dreary-looking tree; their designated meeting place to get a carriage together. She would've been there with Sam, had the latter girl not gotten lost in a crowd of boys all complimenting her on growing over the summer. Which she did quite a bit of, especially in the chest area.

Crossing her arms and looking around with only slight interest, Annabelle smiled at familiar faces and cringed at the less friendly ones. It was when Blaise Zabini, Draco Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy Parkinson (their slut) passed that something interesting happened.

Blaise met her steady gaze, and a cold breeze passed through the air, making everyone shiver. She levelled him easily, not taking her light blue eyes off of his dark chocolate ones. He nodded slightly, to which she felt something creep up her neck.

Was she _blushing_?

What the hell did she have to blush about? It wasn't the first time Blaise had simply nodded at her. Numerous times, only from cold indifference, did he show the similar sign. Yet suddenly, it was making some damned heat filled her face. She hurriedly shook away the feeling.

Annabelle and Blaise had never spoken to one another. Through six years of Hogwarts, not a single word exchanged. And now, for some strange reason, that bothered her. She had never felt that way before, yet suddenly, it was there. Maybe it was the damn bet.

"Annabelle!" She spun around to feel Sam's arms wrap around her neck. The blush subsided, replaced with an inward warmth of friendship. She hugged back.

"Hey, Sam," she grinned. "Where's the rest of em?"

"Rose and Eryn are here, see?" She pointed a slender finger into the mass of black robe-clad students filling the carriages. Annabelle squinted a bit behind her glasses and finally saw Rose's and Eryn's blonde in a group of dark hair.

"How'd your train ride go?" Annabelle asked her friends, smiling at Rose's bored look and Eryn's giddy one.

"Lovely."

"Hellish." They said this in unison, making both look at each other and giggle lightly.

"It was fine," Rose sighed. "Weasley was an asshole -"

"- Harry was so kind -"

"- he thinks I'm the spawn of Satan -"

"- he got his hair cut!"

Annabelle and Sam rolled their eyes in time just as Kenzie peeked out from the hordes of people. She looked worse than any of the others. Her eyes were tired, her hair was a mess, and she practically fell into Rose's arms.

"What happened?" Eryn asked in shock, trying to contain laughter at her friend's dramatic actions.

"Don't ask," she groaned. "Let's just find a carriage, then I'll tell you."

They took one of the remaining ones, fitting in nicely, and let it creak away, invisible creatures tugging on unseen reins. Kenzie nestled her head onto Sam's shoulder.

"Aw, what's wrong, Kenzie-Boo?" the former girl whispered in a baby voice. Kenzie literally cringed at the nickname so like the one that Pansy had tagged onto Draco.

"Don't call me that," she hissed. Sam put her hands up in surrender, to which Kenzie just smiled. "I'm sorry. It's just…I had to spend my entire ride with Malfoy, Zabini, Crabbe, Goyle, and Parkinson." She didn't notice the slight heat that filled Annabelle's cheeks at the second name.

"Did you get any good work done?" Eryn asked suggestively.

"Not that I wanted to," Kenzie gagged. "But even if I did, Pansy was there, and she would've ripped me apart with her cheaply-manicured hands if I went anywhere near her _Dracy-Poo_." She shivered again, and the rest laughed.

"Well, it's nice to know that I'm not the only one who had a shitty trip," Rose sighed.

"Oh, Ron wasn't that bad. If anything, you were just as bitchy as him," Eryn chastised. Rose shrugged.

"I suppose," she sighed, leaning back. "But he still has no bloody right to act like he's the Queen of Sheba! I mean, the man has no ambition, no interests, no passion of any kind!"

"Can't deny that," Sam sighed. Everyone nodded.

"Well, Harry and Eryn are going to hit it off, even if Rose does end up starkers in the Black Lake," Annabelle giggled. Rose stuck out her tongue.

"I can't wait to see that!" Kenzie cried out, squirming. "They've been hinting forever! I want them together so much!"

"I know, me too," Rose sighed. She leaned into Eryn, who turned the darkest shade of pink possible.

"I hope you all realize that I am, in fact, still here! I'm not some character in a story!" she snapped. Sam shrugged.

"Tomato, tomahto."

"That didn't even make sense!"

Giggling ensued, then a comfortable silence that they all basked in. The full moon shone over them, pale and pleasant, dying their skin a lighter color than it already was. Sam's waves shone, shimmered, gave off the faint scent of strawberries. A carriage behind theirs filled with second years, who knew by then to stay away from Rose, gawk at Sam, and make friends with Eryn, Kenzie, and Annabelle as best they could, breathed deeply.

They'd really built up a bit of a reputation, and they weren't too damn bad either. Kenzie was the nice one, the one you really found sweet on all levels. Eryn was the one who was kind and loving. Annabelle was the shopper who liked people. Rose was the bitch you stayed away from when she was in a bad mood. And Sam was the one you admired from afar. The boys who got too close could no longer have children, thanks to Sam's spiked heels and Rose's temper.

"So, Samantha, darling," Rose said, cutting the quiet in half. "How has your time with Neville been going? You have a firm hold on every other male in Hogwarts, don't you? Is Neville within your clutches as easily?"

Sam groaned loudly. "He's so damn difficult!" she whined. "He didn't fall for anything, not a touch of the knee or a wink of the eye, nothing! I fucking hate you guys for choosing him!" Kenzie laughed.

"The point is to make it as difficult as possible for you!" she pointed out. "I know I'm having the time of my life."

"Oh, we know, dear," Eryn giggled. "And Annabelle, how about you and Zabini?"

Again, her face heated up, and she shook her head as a sign to drop the matter. She didn't want to talk about him. She never really did. Having never spoken, it would be as painful as stabbing her eye. Which she didn't really want to do either.

The castle approached almost immediately after, and they toppled out, heading with the hordes of students into the Great Hall. It was just as majestic as they remembered, with floating candles and long tables. The girls stopped for a moment, taking it in as teens passed their frozen figures.

They were all in different Houses, and therefore headed for those tables. They normally didn't give a damn about the rules, and simply meshed together, but they felt that they should honour tradition and separate for the first meal. Kenzie went for Slytherin, Sam for Ravenclaw, Eryn for Hufflepuff, and Annabelle and Rose for Gryffindor.

As Neville passed them before they went off, Sam grabbed hold of his tie, making him sputter a bit. He looked at her with wide eyes, and she flirtingly giggled.

"Nice to see you again, Neville, isn't it?" she whispered, her voice dripping with honey and seduction and empty promises and sex. But he simply gently removed her hand from his tie, straightened out his collar, and ran off. Sam stammered in indignation before huffing, stomping, and going to Ravenclaw.

First years were Sorted with ease, and each House attained ten new students. Dumbledore then stepped up to the winged podium, cleared his throat - making everyone quieten - and spread his arms.

"I see you all here tonight," he began loudly, yet with a calm tone. "And I cannot help but wonder if you at all miss your summer holidays. Jovial faces, kind and honest and true, all stare up at me, all eager to learn and study and prosper and succeed. And that shall be of much enjoyment on your teacher's parts.

"For first years, welcome to your new home. For returning students, welcome back, and my, how you've all grown!" A slight laugh let out. "I truly am happy to have you all back here, to see you all once more.

"Now, Mr. Filch has a list…" Of course, most students tuned out for Filch's list of unacceptable objects in the school, and didn't zone back in until he clapped. "And now, to feast."

And piles upon piles of food appeared on platters. The tables creaked under the immense weight, and much shuffling and grabbing began. The five friends all made for their favourite forms of delicacies.

"Go chat up Ron," Annabelle mumbled to Rose, who immediately shook her head.

"Hell no," she snapped. She grabbed a roll, about to whisper an incantation to make it gluten-free, but she felt it magically change in her hand, and she grinned a bit. She truly loved magic.

"C'mon -"

"I'll chat my guy up when you do yours." Annabelle blushed a bit, but remained belligerent as ever. She smiled sweetly and called across the table.

"Hey, Ron!"

Rose's eyes widened. Ron looked at Annabelle curiously, as she had never sought to have a conversation with him before.

"What?" he called back. Annabelle quickly searched her mind for some kind of lie that would sound at least a bit believable. He might've been dumb, but he wasn't stupid.

"Rose here just told me what a fabulous talker you are!" She received numerous rolls to the head for that.

"Oh?" He looked completely unbelieving. "Well, she's quite a talker herself. Not fabulously, but in her own annoying way." Harry tapped his shoulder, trying to get him to back off, but he wouldn't have any of it.

And it was too late, too. Rose had gotten hold of the bait and would pull him into the ocean with her.

"Oh, I know, aren't I just?" she laughed flakily. "I may be a talker, but at least I don't have the IQ of steel."

"Steel is strong."

"So what are you, then?"

"Smarter than you."

"Any _O_'s on your OWLs?" She had him there, and smirked. "Didn't think so."

"Remember, Carson: O stands for object. And that's all you are, and ever will be. A pawn moved by your damn temper and your friends will."

"Like you're the poster child for even tempers!"

"Well -"

"ENOUGH!"

They both looked up at the Head table, as did every other student. McGonagall was shaking with fury, her black cloak billowing as she shivered. And her glare was directed immediately at the pair who had been bickering so well.

"Enough of your meaningless bantering!" she cried. "Any more of that, and you shall both receive a month's worth of detention! Please be civil on your first day back at Hogwarts! If not, you'll be scrubbing bedpans for weeks! Now sit down, hush up, and eat your roast!"

They grudgingly plopped onto the bench and listened as the Great Hall filled with chatter once again, getting over that brief little spat. But hatred never left their eyes.

"Oh, what a great start to this year," Eryn muttered to herself at the Hufflepuff table.

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><p><strong>A little longer, so that's for your trouble of waiting. I was gonna add a KenzieDraco bit, but I'll save that for later :) It'll be good!**

**God, I love me some Ron Weasley! :D**

**REVIEW! :D**


	5. Fracture

**Yay, I'm late once more! :) Please stay with this story! I have so many ideas, they just take a while to get out of my mind and onto Microsoft Word :) So, read and love it? Thanks!**

**PS: I won't be able to review for at least eight or so days, I'm going to Toronto with _ErynPotter_ (check her out!)**

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><p><em>We're dead<em>, Eryn though piteously, racing down the corridors. She attempted to hastily button up her half-open blouse, only to mess up and have to redo it all. Her ivory socks fell down her shins, but she quickly pulled them back up.

It was the first day of classes, and she had overslept. It didn't really surprise her; after all, it was practically tradition for her to sleep in a little bit too late, therefore missing the bell and having to rush to class.

In fact…

"Shit!" a loud, very familiar scream echoed down the hallway, and Eryn was met with Annabelle and Rose, both of whom looked just as sleepy and dishevelled as herself. That was the _in fact _previously: it was tradition for all five friends to oversleep and be late on the first day.

"Just wake up?" Eryn asked through panting breaths as they jogged to keep at a regular pace. Annabelle nodded, but Rose took the sarcastic approach.

"No, I was awake hours ago, I just was so enthralled by _Hogwarts: A History _that I lost track of time!" she snapped. Eryn rolled her eyes.

"Someone didn't get their coffee, I see." She received a tongue being stuck out at her, and laughed. "What do you have?"

"Potions," they said in unison, both groaning a bit.

"Fun," the blonde murmured. "I have Care of Magical Creatures with Ravenclaw."

"Speak of the devil -" Annabelle was cut over conveniently at a loud shriek. All three girls looked behind them to find Sam, racing forwards, her blouse completely unbuttoned, revealing a light pink bra. They all rolled, still walking quickly, as she caught up.

"Nice look," Annabelle chuckled. Sam smiled and flipped her waves over her shoulder.

"I thought I'd go for the more provocative look today," she sighed breathily. Rose quickly began to button them up, as she wasn't completely sure whether her friend was being serious or not. And she didn't have the energy that day to kick anyone's ass for trying to grope Sam.

They all raced around until they reached the Entrance Hall, where Eryn and Sam hurried outside to Hagrid's Hut and Rose and Annabelle headed for a different exit closer to their destination. It led them underground and all the way around.

Along the way, they passed the Slytherin common room, where Kenzie practically fell out of the sliding wall. She dusted herself off and began to pull her hair into a bun while slinging her bag over her shoulder.

"Aren't we a little late," Annabelle smiled. Kenzie gave her the finger.

"Potions is the bane of my existence," she grumbled. "I swear to God, it's the beginning of the year, and Dumbledore has cursed me with first-block Potions."

"Us too," the former girl grumbled.

"It could be worse," Rose pointed out. "It could be with Snape. Instead, you've got this Slughorn guy." Kenzie nodded grudgingly, finally reaching the dungeons. Smiling weakly as her friends, she pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped in.

"…prepared a few potions for you…" Slughorn trailed off as they all entered. His little watery eyes hidden behind layers of fat looked behind him and saw her innocent face smiling at him. Every other Slytherin gave them all a glare of disdain, but the Gryffindor's grinned at Annabelle and Rose, their colleagues and friends.

"Sorry we're late, Professor," Annabelle offered gently, hurrying away. Rose followed, at a slower pace, with Kenzie by her side. They sat silently beside one another, behind a mass of students.

"The second outburst this class, my, my, we're off to a bit of a rocky start, aren't we?" Slughorn commented, the jovial tone hidden beneath much fake annoyance. His gaze flickered to Ron and Harry, who were sitting against the wall. Harry offered the girls a smile, but Ron remained determinedly stony. Especially to Rose.

"Now, where was I…ah, yes! I've prepared a few potions for you to have a look at, just out of interest, you know. These are the kind of thing you ought to be able to make after completing your NEWT's. You ought to have heard of 'em, even if you haven't made 'em yet. Anyone tell me what this one is." He motioned to a pot nearest the Slytherin table. All three of Hermione, Kenzie, and Rose's hands flew up. Slughorn smiled and chuckled.

"Miss…um…" He was looking at Kenzie.

"Thorne, sir."

"Yes, Miss. Thorne. What is this potion?"

"It's Veritaserum. It has no taste, no smell, no defined color. And it forces the drinker into telling only the truth." Hermione looked most displeased, but Slughorn bounced about.

"Very well done, Miss. Thorne! Five points to Slytherin House!" he laughed. "Now, this one here is pretty well known. Featured in a few Ministry leaflets lately, too. Who can -" Hermione beat the rest of the girls this time. "Yes?"

"It's Polyjuice Potion, sir."

Rose and Kenzie eyed the sludge in a bowl. From the corner of their eyes, they saw Ron and Harry doing the same, but with a look of recognition instead of disgust.

The rest of the potion decisions were made mostly by the three girls: Hermione, Kenzie, and Rose. Afterwards, they were told to make a Draught of Living Death. For the prize of a vial of Felix Felicis.

Of course, Kenzie quickly became submerged in her work. She got that way when it came to school. Easily intrigued, she stuck to that which she was trying to handle, and hated being disturbed. That was why Rose had shifted as far away from her as possible until the hour was done and she had claimed her bottle of liquid luck.

And while Kenzie was good at blocking people out while in her zone, she wasn't perfect.

"Did you hear about her family?"

"What, of filthy Muggles and Mudbloods like her?"

She looked up curiously at the desk ahead of her. It seated Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini, who were whispering badly. In front of them, Crabbe and Goyle were turned and listening, but too thick to realize they were being watched by the person in question.

"She's a _Thorne _in my side."

"Nice one."

"Shut it. It's honest, though. She's a bloody pain in my ass! Blessing our presences with her hideous face and shape. Hell, Pansy has a better body than her. I don't understand why she's in Slytherin. She's the most absurdly kind person ever, which only makes her more insufferable. And her mother! Such a lowlife, such a scummy little Muggle! God, I wish she'd just fall of the face of the earth!"

At this point, Kenzie's finely chopped up roots were a mess of a soft stick. Rose looked at her handiwork questioningly.

"You okay?" she asked tentatively, afraid of getting socked in an attempt of actually being kind. Kenzie ignored her, though, and stood up. Her fists shook slightly. Her expression was of rage. Oh, she could deal with insults at her, but when he talked about her mother. That crossed her metaphorical line.

She wanted to beat the living shit out of _Draco fucking Malfoy_.

Slughorn was turned around, crouched behind his desk, trying to pick up a piece of paper. Which gave Kenzie the perfect moment to get her revenge.

She strode around her table, so she was standing right next to him. His ice blonde back of his head was facing her, until Zabini cleared his throat and nodded at her, and he turned. A slightly satisfied smirk was plastered on his pale face.

"Can I help you, Mudblood?" he asked casually. She smiled sweetly, sickeningly. It was hideous, conniving, and evil.

This was her Slytherin side.

Leaning onto the stone tabletop, she looked him straight in his mercury eyes. "Draco, sweetie. Of course you can." She noticed she was speaking a bit loudly, and the entire class was paying attention to them. But she was riled up too much to care. "

"And how can this help be achieved?" He obviously couldn't see the rage covered in a mask of sugary kindness. The kind of sugar that caused cavities. Or maybe he could and just didn't care.

"Well, first," she began, getting closer, "You can fall off the face of the earth. And you can have your mother insulted. And you can be called so piteously ugly that each time you grace anyone with your presence, we puke. Oops, too late." Several kids made cat calls, and _You got burned_! His eyes became glared.

"Excuse me -"

"You're not excused, you douche bag!" she shrieked. Slughorn surprisingly still didn't notice. The old man was deaf. "And secondly, not to mention lastly, you can shut the fuck up!"

And her clenched fist made swift, loud contact with his nose.

Her knuckles quickly felt as though bruises were blossoming on the bone. Blood began to pour out of Draco's nose. Her free hand grabbed her wand, and she cast a hurried spell. Nothing seemed to happen, so she would simply have to trust her magic.

"Professor!" Pansy Parkinson shrieked, rushing over to her beau. Her eyes were filled with tears as he attempted to stem the never-ending flow. Slughorn looked up to see a crowd of people beginning to cover their table. His eyes widened.

"What the devil is going on here?" he called, coming closer. And as he did, his shock and worry turned into repulsion and annoyance. "Now, Mr. Malfoy, I understand your interest in being the teacher's favourite, but this is really overdoing it."

"What are you talking about?" Draco cried. His sleeve was still to his nose. "My nose is bloody bleeding because that bitch punched me!" He pointed to Kenzie at the word _bitch_, though she was looking as innocent as ever, now sitting down with Rose at her side, covering a grin.

"Mr. Malfoy, your nose is not bleeding," Slughorn calmly explained.

"Look at it!" Pansy shrieked.

"It's not bleeding!"

"Yes, it -" Draco stopped mid-sentence, and slowly turned to face Kenzie. She grinned and waved, looking angelic. "What spell did you put on me?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous. She let her hand rest in her hand.

"Oh, just a simple little charm that allows students to see the damage I've done but the teacher's think you are simply ludicrous." He widened his eyes in fury, to which she added, with more than a touch of smugness, "A spell of my own creation."

"You bitch!" Pansy cried, looking ready to claw said girl's eyes out. Draco held her down, though, and simply turned around and kept his sleeve at his nose.

"Oh, you are wicked," Rose laughed. "I love it!"

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><p><strong>I fucking love Kenzie :) She's so badass! I must be rubbing off on her ;)<strong>

**Review? I think so too!**


	6. Confuddlement

**Yay, fast chapter! :D I won't be updating for at least 8 days, as I'll be on a bus, then in Toronto, then on a bus again until I get home.**

**OOOH! And I got a laptop! :D All shiny and new and Acer-ish :) I love it, so hopefully (once my wireless router arrives) I can update from their. I like my computer's writing system a lot better than shitty Works Word Processor here :P**

**Anywhooozles, enjoy! :D**

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><p>"What do you know about Blaise Zabini?"<p>

Annabelle, who had been dreadfully studying in the library, looked up curiously. Before her stood a fourth year she'd never met before - never really seen in school, even - asking her an absurd question. She quirked an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry?" she asked. And attempted to ignore the heat that was creeping up her neck. _Damn it all_, she thought vulgarly to her stupid blush trigger. Why was his name such a random flick onto said part of her mind?

"I said, what do you know about Blaise Zabini?" she pushed. Annabelle calmly closed her book and folded her hands in her lap.

"Nothing whatsoever, actually," she replied. And this was the completely honest truth. The fourth year nodded slowly, and Annabelle thought (and hoped) that she would leave.

Instead, she placed her few books on the table across from her.

"Um, why do you ask?" Annabelle prompted. "And who are you, too?" It was late Thursday night, so this fourth year had changed into her Muggle clothes, making it even more difficult to place her.

"I'm really sorry, I'm Harriet Bond," the girl introduced, grinning, shaking hands. "I'm a Hufflepuff. I know Eryn Winters, your friend." Annabelle inwardly groaned. If Eryn had something to do with this girl coming up to her about Zabini, it couldn't be leading anywhere good.

"I see."

"Mmhm. And she told me that you knew something about Blaise Zabini, just after breakfast, actually." She sighed a bit, honesty in her tone. This didn't sound fake. She seemed to be truly curious about him. "I guess not."

"Look, Harriet," Annabelle said, feeling suddenly terrible that she couldn't help this girl. "I don't know anything about Zabini, I'm sorry. But I'm curious as to why _you're _curious about him."

Harriet giggled nervously. Her cheeks turned a fair pink. Annabelle noticed that she was twisting a strand of her chestnut hair around her index finger. And that her eyes, wide and hazel, looked timid and a bit confused.

And something Annabelle couldn't recognize.

"Well," Harriet began, "It's just that…he sort of, kind of…interests me." She let out breath of laughter, as if asking Annabelle to tell her that pursuing Zabini was bad news. And deep down, she wanted to say as much.

But that was overtaken by a completely new emotion. One she'd never experienced before, one she felt herself greedily taking hold of. It roared like a flame, the fiery tendrils threatening to slither up her throat and burst out.

It was jealousy, plain and simple. She could practically feel the green-eyed monster oozing out of her pores. Obviously, it wasn't actually happening, though, for Harriet still sat calmly yet with a bit of anxiousness to her posture.

"It's stupid, I know," she quickly said, as though taking Annabelle's silence to mean stunned shock. "But, his face is just… And his eyes, they just… And his smile, that faint…" She sighed, and Annabelle forced a fake grin onto her face.

"It's not stupid," she advised, lying through her teeth. Harriet immediately perked up. "No, I understand what you're saying. It's simply the fact that no one has ever…mentioned him like that, like, _ever_."

"I know," Harriet moaned. "I feel so bad for him! I mean, everyone should have a chance to be admired, right?" She paused a moment and looked Annabelle up and down. "I'm sure you understand what I'm talking about. You've probably had many guys doting on you in the past."

Annabelle stopped breathing for a moment. Did Harriet just hit on her?

"Um, yeah, sure," she quickly recovered, and slammed her books closed. "Look, Harriet, um, I've got this thing with my friends. So -"

"Oh, yes, of course," Harriet said with the same hastiness, now looking a tad worried she'd frightened the girl off. "Maybe we can talk again?"

"Um, sure, maybe," Annabelle mumbled. She stuffed the rest of her things into her knapsack, slung it over her shoulder, and rushed out of the library. Madam Pince gave her a look of distaste, to which Annabelle flipped her the bird and continued.

Her life just got a hell of a lot more interesting.

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><p>"Eryn…"<p>

Eyes of emerald shone brightly into her own sky blue orbs.

"You're so beautiful."

Jet black hair, standing on end, naturally a full-blown mess.

"How could I even think about anyone else?"

"_ERYN_!"

Eryn sat up quickly, her eyes bleary. She looked about, trying to figure out where she was. It seemed like…the Great Hall.

How had she fallen asleep in the Great Hall? It was so bloody noisy, she could hardly hear herself think whilst awake. She turned her head from right to left. Surprisingly, no one had noticed the little reverie she had woken from. Or that she'd been sleeping in the first place.

The only people who did were in front and on either side of her.

"_Oh, Harry, Harry, you're so beautiful_!" Kenzie laughed.

"_How could I even think about anyone else_?" Sam chimed in. Eryn's face suddenly became quite warm.

"Shit," she mumbled. Rose, who was next to her, wrapped an arm around her small shoulders.

"Yes, dear, you do talk in your sleep at times," she chuckled. "But don't worry, we're the only one's who heard."

At this, Eryn looked down the table - which she found to be Gryffindor, as everyone was wearing red and gold ties - and saw Harry, sitting with Ron and Hermione, laughing loudly at something or other. She let out a breath she had not realized she'd been holding.

"No, he didn't hear," Annabelle comforted. "You have nothing to worry about on that front. Though that doesn't mean we won't tell him." A fork was promptly held up by the blonde in question, and Annabelle put her hands up in surrender. "Kidding, love, kidding."

"I fucking hate all of you," Eryn grumbled, slamming the fork back down. The girls all shrugged.

"No, you _loooooove _us," Kenzie cooed. "Just like you _loooooo_-"

"Shut it!" Eryn cried over her. Annabelle chuckled.

"Hey, this is simply my payback to you for siccing that Harriet Bond chick on me," she snapped. Eryn raised an eyebrow curiously.

"Harriet who?"

Annabelle rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. She came up to me in the library and told me that she was interested in Zabini. And that you told her I might know something about him." Eryn's confused expression never changed.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Eryn asked.

"Right after breakfast, she said you came up to her and -"

"Eryn was with me and Sam right after breakfast," Rose interjected. "We were trying to get her to ditch. No one came up to her."

Annabelle's eyebrows knitted themselves together, and she hunched over her dinned silently. So Harriet had been lying. Either that, or Eryn wasn't telling the truth. Though why wouldn't she? The joke had gone on long enough.

Of course, while Annabelle was trying to solve the puzzle of Harriet Bond, Sam's eyes were moving around the entirety of the Great Hall. Mostly because Neville Longbottom didn't seem to be seated anywhere.

Every time Sam and Neville had a class together, he became increasingly nervous and sweaty. More so than usual, even. He didn't seem the least bit interested in her. Each time she _accidentally _rubbed her knee against his, or _mistakenly _took his textbook instead of her own, every male would throw him envious looks while he would try and back away. It was the most curious thing.

"Looking for Neville?" Kenzie taunted suddenly, making Sam jump a bit. She hurriedly pulled on a mask of cool indifference.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," she replied. "Now, if you don't mind, I will get back to my roll-buttering."

Kenzie rolled her eyes and sat her chin in her hand. Sam, however, continued to remain on the lookout, only more conspicuously this time. From behind a glass of water, she eyed the opposite wall.

And there he was. Entering the Hall as quietly and stealthily. He was obviously trying to avoid her, as his gaze kept flickering to the Ravenclaw table, where she was supposed to be. Throwing caution to the wind, Sam stood up and waved over her head.

"Hey, Neville, over here!" Everyone looked at her with wide eyes. She realized her blunder too late, as his face turned the color of a tomato and he hauled up his bag and raced out of the room. Many people - most from the Slytherin table - let out loud guffaws. Even her friends were giggling a bit, but one stern look from Sam and they sobered.

"I don't get it!" Sam whined, falling back onto the bench and receiving quite a few funny looks. "Most men bow down at my feet!"

"This is why we chose Neville!" Annabelle pointed out. "We knew he wouldn't. It's supposed to be challenging."

"But if he won't even look at me, how the hell am I supposed to get him in bed?" Sam clasped her hands together. "Please, give me someone, anyone else!"

All girls shook their head and continued to eat their dinner. Sam groaned, and grumpily began to eat the remains of lasagne.

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><p><strong>Ooooh, some more Annabelle and Eryn, because I've been lacking with them :) So, there we have it, another chapter.<strong>

**Enjoyable? REVIEW! :D:D:D **


	7. Plummet

**I am sooorrry for not posting sooner! I've been sitracted and in Toronto and sitracted more and idealess and yadayadayada :( I hope you all will continue to put up with me and this story!**

**This has a bit more Sam/Neville than the others, seeing as everyone seems to love them 3 I don't blame you!**

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><p>Sam sighed contentedly. It was a good day. The Saturday sun was streaming in through an open window, warming her face. All of her dorm-mates were out and about, leaving Sam alone to ponder the coming day.<p>

And maybe sex up the guy lying to her left.

She looked over at him. He was a fairly attractive seventh year. His shaggy milk chocolate hair was falling into his closed eyes. His skin, so gentle and fair, though his jaw showed much stubble, almost glistened in the new day sunlight. Not in a stupid way, like Twilight vampires or something, but rather sexily. His IQ may have been twelve thousand points below that which it was supposed to be, but his hotness level reached twelve thousand points above.

Smiling, Sam placed a hand to his cheek, leaned down, and placed a tentative kiss upon his lips. She watched as his eyelids fluttered open to reveal two bright blue-gray irises. He grinned up at her.

"You know, I don't think I've ever had a lovelier wakeup call," he whispered. She giggled flirtatiously – to be quite honest, she'd gotten that line a thousand times and it was wearing thin – and ran her fingers through his hair. His let his own hand drift to the effortlessly messy waves, smoothing them a bit. "I have to say that all those bastards who slept with you before are absolutely right. You are most definitely the best lay."

To this, she let her head hang back and a chorus of laughter sang out of her mouth. He widened his beam, not suspecting at all her fakeness in enjoyment of his company.

Sam and her mystery lay would've been perfectly happy to remain in bed for the rest of the day, but others had different plans. Namely, her friends, all of whom attempted to barge into the Ravenclaw dormitories without hesitation.

"Samantha Calloway!" Rose shrieked at the top of her lungs. The door knob wouldn't budge, which gave Sam and her manwhore enough time to cover up the necessary bits. A quick _Alohomora_ later and all of Sam's friends ran through the door.

"You _promised_ me!" Rose cried. Sam looked completely confused.

"What did I promise you?" she questioned in reply, because, in all honesty, she had no sweet clue as to what Rose was talking about. This, of course, only made the blonde huff in frustration and hit her head against the wall.

"The Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts," Eryn translated. This made a bit more sense to Sam. The thought of promising Rose that she would go there for moral support did have a familiar ring to it, and the broom Rose was shouldering might've given some away, but she couldn't be sure. Not with McDreamy lying next to her, naked.

She turned to him. "Um, would you mind leaving us for a moment?" She pulled on a façade of innocence and lust as she dragged a slender finger up and down his chest. "I'll make it worth your while."

This got him going. In less than five seconds, he got out of bed, found his boxers and wife beater, pulled them on, and was leaving, his remaining clothing still lying about. As he passed Kenzie, he grabbed her ass and whispered in her ear, "I'll make it worth _your_ while, sweet cheeks."

Kenzie made a scoffing noise, shocked at the very idea, and swatted him as he ran out. Sam rolled her eyes.

"He ain't getting any anymore," she snapped. Rose, however, was still livid.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" she ordered. Sam quickly got out of bed; her sheet wrapped around her, she began to get dressed. With many orders from her friend, she was clothed in her own personal record time.

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><p>"So, what position are you trying out for this year, Rosie?" Sam asked curiously. She got a punch to the arm for the nickname, but otherwise, Rose looked quite pleased with herself.<p>

"Beater." This received many fake groans.

Rose had been on the Gryffindor Quidditch team last year as well, also as Beater. And as such, became reputed for her slightly violent nature. In third year, she bashed a seventh year Chaser in the face, but since it was her job, there was no rule to testify him. Gryffindor won that match.

"Just don't beat anyone's face in this time, alright?" Annabelle asked, having been silent this whole time for no apparent reason other than enjoying watching her friends bicker. She truly loved them.

Rose shook her head. "No promises."

They all continued on until they reached the door leading to the stands, change rooms, and arena itself. Everyone who wasn't Rose walked up many steps and plopped into the highest possible benches. From afar, they watched Rose's long ponytail swish as she marched to the lineup of other Beaters.

Sam jiggled her foot absently, watching the stands for some cute males. No one really caught her eye. Then again, no one ever did. And if they were lucky enough to do so, they would have to come to her.

She kept her eyes peeled for quite a while until, finally, someone of interest crossed her path. Innocent little Neville Longbottom passed by two rows ahead of her, a book in his hand. He didn't glance anywhere else as he walked, which made it a prime moment for Sam to pounce on him.

"Excuse me, ladies," Sam giggled, standing up and grinning. "But I've got prey to kill."

"Don't you mean to seduce?" Annabelle pointed out. Sam shrugged at this, and, tossing her hair behind her shoulder, she began to make her way down the stands.

Neville was the epitome of virgin, Sam decided with ease as she moved. Everything about him screamed that his cherry was yet to be popped. That, and that he'd never whispered sweet sexual words after doing the hanky panky. Of course, this only excited her more. She was going to be his first. It wasn't often that she had the pleasure of such a treat.

She noticed the title of the thick textbook was _Why Fungi is a Fun Guy._ She'd never heard of it before. Then again, Neville really was the only one who truly and completely enjoyed Herbology. And he wasn't half bad at it either.

"Hey, you," Sam murmured, taking a seat next to him. He jumped at her voice, like the soft tone had cut through all of the noise around them and targeted straight onto him. She flirtatiously fluttered her eyelashes, but this only seemed to repel him more. He scooted away.

"What, do I have cooties?" she continued, more jokingly teasing this time. He flushed a deep red.

"N-no, of course not, it's just –"

"It's just what?" she urged. He gulped visibly.

"I don't…like you…"

Sam stared at him blankly for a moment, still trying to process the words he'd just uttered. Yet they didn't seem to be seeping in. Sexually, she understood that she could be a bit headstrong and brash, but…why wouldn't he like her otherwise?

"Um…right, Neville, that's…_totally_ fine with me –" she was lying through her teeth "- but I'm just curious as to _why_ you don't like me?" He seemed strangely surprised that she wasn't hyperventilating, no matter how sorrowful she felt inside.

"Well…it's just the way you treat people like their dispensable. I'm amazed that you haven't rid yourself of Eryn and Kenzie and them because they were with you too long. I see the way that blokes will scamper over to you, all in love, and then leave saying you were the best they'd ever done, thinking that you would commit to them alone. Then they find out and can only hold high the words_ I shagged Samantha Calloway_. It's demeaning!

"And I don't believe that you're that good of a person. I suppose that if I got to know you, then maybe, but on the outside, no one really does. They see your beauty and only want to get into your pants. The few who don't think as low of you as I do. That is why I don't like you, Samantha."

It shocked Sam to her core, both the words and the suddenly courageous tone he had taken on. This sounded like something he'd kept bottled within for a while. Like he was finally able to let out that thing so painful for him.

A rainbow of emotions was showering over her. First pain (_someone doesn't like me?_), then anger (_who the hell does he think he is?_), then indecision (_well…maybe he's right_), then contemplation (_he is right! I am a bitch_!), then simply sadness. She wanted to be liked. Everyone did, really. But Sam, who had always gotten so much praise, desperately craved it.

And the one opinion that had never mattered before suddenly meant the world to her.

Neville Longbottom had gotten to her.

"Well, thank you for your honesty," she mumbled, and scurried away. As she did, she turned back for a moment and saw that he had simply gone back to reading. Her heart broke even more.

"Are you okay?" Kenzie asked quietly when Sam slid next to her. The latter girl nodded silently, and Kenzie, knowing her friend well enough to realize a bad time, left her alone. Sam was good at self-healing. She would get over it by herself.

The Gryffindor tryouts were going swimmingly. Harry was the new captain – Eryn had practically squealed at the news – and doing a phenomenal job, in the opinion of all. Especially Rose, during her tryout.

"Alright, Rose, all you have to do is follow me and keep away all twenty Bludgers away. Clear?"

"Crystal," Rose replied easily. Harry smiled and began to fly. She kept up without too much trouble. He might've had a Firebolt, but her sturdy Cleansweep was her favorite. She wouldn't trade it for a thousand Firebolts.

"I'm gonna see if I can get a better view," Eryn told her friends. No one really acknowledged this, too busy watching the many heavy violent balls trying to hit her crush. Rose was doing a pretty damn good job, too. Having none hit him yet, and only one hit her in the arm, she liked her chances.

Now, love made people do crazy things. You thought you could swim in shark-infested waters without being harmed. You'd risk your life for the one you held dear to your heart. And you thought that a slightly wavering tower in the incredible breeze, as you leaned over, wouldn't make you plummet to your death.

In case you couldn't tell, the last one had to do with Eryn. She wandered up to the watch tower without hesitancy and leaned as far over as she could to get a better view of Harry. She didn't notice her hand slip a bit as she leaned farther. She didn't seem to care that the rocky wooden tower was quivering.

She did find it unnerving when she fell, though.

Her scream pierced the air, and everyone turned to her flailing body. Kenzie gasped loudly. Annabelle and Sam hugged each other. A Bludger became wild and began to move around without a commander.

And Harry was the hero. He turned towards the sound, saw that flash of blue in her eyes, and knew who was going to die if he didn't save them. Without a second thought, he swooped as fast as possible towards her. The rogue Bludger followed, and Rose gritted her teeth and managed to keep on his trail.

She beat away the Bludger a number of times before catching it. The force, however, threw her off her broom and towards the ground. Luckily, she wasn't too far off, and only managed a bruise.

Eryn wouldn't have been so lucky if Harry wasn't so bloody wonderful. As she was only ten feet from the ground, he seized her in midair, causing them both to drop the short distance down. They skidded along the short grass, both turning round and round each other, before finally coming to a stop. Harry was overtop of Eryn, his hands on either side of her head. She blinked a few times before realizing where she was.

"Oh…um, hi," she said weakly. He chuckled a bit.

"Hi."

A silence that lasted an eternity took over. One where everything aside from them was gone, erased from their memories. All that mattered was that moment, in which they felt completely and totally at peace with one another.

They say that time stops, or that you only see that one person, when you find the love of your life. And they are absolutely correct. But what they don't mention is that the reality afterwards is always a bit harsh.

"Harry!"

Eryn groaned loudly at that voice. The one she hated with all of her might for no other reason than the fact that the person whom it belonged to had a crush on Harry too.

Ginny Weasley.

"Oh, Harry, are you alright?" Ginny cried out dramatically. She grabbed him by the back and spun him over so that he was lying in her lap. Her freckled arms wrapped around his fair neck, squeezing the living daylights out of him.

"Fine, Gin," Harry confirmed. Eryn didn't notice how his gaze remained locked on her, too busy fuming and brushing herself off. A faint smile graced her face when she saw all of her friends come rushing over.

"Oh my God, are you okay?"

"Merlin, what was that boy thinking?"

"_Him_? What the _hell_ were _you_ thinking, Eryn?"

"Why are you holding a Bludger, Rose?"

The attention turned to Rose for a moment, who was, indeed, holding a Bludger. She shrugged and shoved some of her blonde hair out of her face. A brave smile went onto her lips.

"So, what was that little moment with you and _Haaaarry_?" she cooed. Eryn turned dark pink and shrugged, attempting to be nonchalant.

"Nothing," she sighed in reply, and began to walk off. The other four followed, but were called back a moment.

"Rose!" She looked at Harry, who had managed to detach himself from Ginny for a moment. "You're on the team."

Rose cried out in joy, ran over, hugged Harry, then raced back to the others. They embraced her with love and compassion and the utmost enthusiasm. No one had a single care.

Except Sam.

And that care was called Neville.

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><p><strong>Falling, rogue Bludgers, and hate, oh my! So this is a bit longer because I loooove you all soooo much that I wanted to make up my absence with some extra words. I like this chapter, actually. It was fun to write! And we get a good taste of some HarryEryn, as well as learning why Neville doesn't seem to be interested in Sam. YAY!**

**REVIEW! :D**


	8. Lingerie

**Another slightly longer chapter :) Because I looove you and really love reviews, too :)**

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><p>It was mid-Saturday and the sun was practically burning Draco's pale skin. He didn't really like the sun. The sun made people happy, and happiness was a myth. He had learned this years ago and wasn't about to kid himself with foolish little feelings that meant nothing in reality.<p>

No one seemed to be in the Transfiguration courtyard. The few who were sat at the other end, reading to themselves on a bench or picking grass from the ground. But he was the only one wandering through to get to the Slytherin common room. His footsteps echoed on the gray stone below him. He quite enjoyed the peace and quiet.

It didn't last long, however, for the sound of muffled cries rang through the air. Draco stopped dead in his tracks, searching the area for the source of the noise. When he came up empty, he began to move again, but the shouts persisted.

"Will you stop –"

"Quit wiggling your ass!"

"Then stop touching it!"

The perverted, hormonal male within Draco became interested in such a conversation. He began to quietly wander towards where the voices were coming from.

"You know how you get me going."

"Oh, shut it, Sam!"

"What? Isn't honesty the best policy?"

"Didn't I tell you to shut it?"

The place where the conversation seemed the loudest was at a door at the far end of the hallway. Draco stood in front of it, contemplating whether or not to barge in and interrogate Sam and this other girl (who he had to admit, he found quite delectable at the moment). That thought ceased when the talking picked up.

"Did you just pinch my boob?"

"…_Maaaay_be."

"That's it! Why are we even doing this in the first place?"

"To become more attractive to the opposite sex. A certain blonde, in particular."

"Shut it!"

"Well, do you or do you not want to get him in bed?"

"I didn't want this to happen in the first place."

Being a slightly egotistical person, Draco's mind reeled at the word blonde. Did this girl – this amazing girl – fancy him?

"Okay, so this blouse needs to go. I'm still unable to see your bra –"

"That's it! I'm done with this! Get me the fuck out of here!"

The door swung open and the hot, sexy, amazing, gorgeous, vivacious, phenomenal girl that Draco had just spent the last five minutes drooling about turned out to be Goddamn Kenzie Thorne.

Even more surprising: she was wearing the outfit of a slutty school girl.

And the last bit pushed him over the edge of sanity: the blouse buttons were undone, revealing a purple leopard print bra, and her small plaid skirt was riding up so he could see the waist band of matching panties.

She gawked at him for a second before rage filled her eyes. Eyebrows narrowed and her glare became incredibly menacing. Yet Draco wasn't fazed. He'd seen her angrier. She didn't scare him much.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" she screamed. Behind her, Draco spotted Sam Calloway gazing nervously at her friend. A small smirk was placed onto his thin lips. He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe.

"Just enjoying hearing about your painful endeavors trying to fit that little piece of material over that fat ass."

He received a heavy slap to his cheek for that comment, leaving it smarting. She hurried out of the abandoned classroom and started to walk briskly away from him. All the while, as he caught up with her pace, he stared at her perfect ass covered only by the thin spotted violet cloth.

"Stop being such a pervert and actually look at my face!" she snapped at him. He quickly shook his head from that small window of thought.

"You may want to fix your skirt before someone other than your secret lover sees that amazing piece of ass."

_Shit, did I just say that out loud_?

Kenzie stopped for a split second and spun around to face him, all the while her fingers unhooking the small plaid handkerchief of material from the waistband of her panties. He couldn't keep his gray eyes from those magical digits.

"What did you just say?" she breathed, her voice only slightly above a whisper. Draco shook his head at her.

"N-nothing," he replied in the same tone. And for once, in the presence of Kenzie Thorne, he was afraid. Afraid that she would dangle that fleeting sexual remark above him. The only thing that she didn't know: he had something to hold over her as well.

"Okay, then –"

"But, pray tell," he cut over, not willing to give up so quickly, "What you and your goddess friend were speaking of that I overheard about?"

It was now Kenzie's turn to flush dark pink. His ever-present cocky grin remained stuck on his pale face, his gaze roving along her colored skin (which he had to admit, looked quite soft. He was tempted to reach out and test that theory.)

_Stop it_! he chastised himself. _She's a pain, an annoying as hell little Mudblood! A Thorne in your side_!

"I'm not a dolt –"

"You sure fooled me."

She received a cool look before he continued. "I know what you were talking about. _Who_ you were talking about." She eyed him curiously.

"Did Parkinson mistake your ear for your mouth, and the residual saliva is clogging off your hearing?" she offered. He shuddered both at the thought and his girlfriend's name.

"Hardly, love. You see, I understand that my abrupt beauty in your plain Jane eyes is most likely shocking, but you have to accept two things."

"And what would those two things be?" she taunted, crossing her arms over her now buttoned up blouse. He could still see the purple of her bra though.

"One: that you are totally, completely, and irrevocably in love with me." She scoffed, but he held up a pale slender finger. "And two: I just don't fancy you. You'll have to get on without my devilish good looks and delicious tongue."

He turned and walked off, yet the slight feeling of anxiousness didn't leave his stomach until after dinner. And he knew why: because he was kinda, sorta, a little bit sure his second reason had been a lie.

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><p>"<em>To hand-crafted beers made in local breweries.<em>"

Rose walked placidly to the Quidditch pitch, the cool September air rushing over her. It was almost eleven 'o' clock at night. Everyone with any common sense or respect for the rules was in bed. But Rose didn't really have either of those things, and therefore completely neglected said codes.

"_To yoga. To yogurt. To rice and beans and cheese._"

She paused at the center of the field, looking out at the now empty stands. Closing her eyes, she began to envision the hundreds of students, crying out praises of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. A chill ran through her at the idea. It was so phenomenal.

"_To leather. To dildos. To curry vindaloo_."

With a last fleeting look around, she mounted her broom and pushed off from the ground. The sensation of weightlessness fulfilled her. The dark sky enwrapped her like a cool duvet. And all that mattered in those few moments were the silence and the glistening brilliant stars above her.

"_To huevos rancheros and Maya Angelou_."

"What are you doing?"

Rose nearly fell off of her broom and plummeted to a very painful spine injury had she not been holding on so tight to her broom. Being a Beater did things like giving you a fairly good tolerance of pain as well as reflexes.

She spun around to face fucking Ronald Weasley. He was riding his own broom only a few feet away from her. A small amused smile was on his lips from whens he had jumped at his voice.

"Why the bloody hell are you out here?"

"I asked you first," he snapped back. Rose grumbled and rolled her eyes a bit.

"Singing. Flying. Now answer mine," she replied. He imitated her.

"Taking an evening fly. Is that a crime?"

"No, but murder is, and if you weren't out here, I might not have almost dropped to my death," she retorted.

"Stop beings so melodramatic," he griped. "You're fine. Besides, who would know? I'd just drag you to the Forbidden Forest and bury you before anyone found out."

This small comment made Rose laugh, to which both teens were shocked. Had Rose Carson just laughed at one of Ron Weasley's jokes? Were they both hallucinating?

Or was it possible that maybe the pair just didn't hate each other as fervently as they once had?

Rose quickly shook that thought out of her head. Of course she still did! Of course they were just as much enemies as they had been at the start of the year! The bet had nothing to do with anything; it was simply playing tricks with her mind. Her friends were behind everything!

"Carson! Think fast!"

This time, she was knocked off her broom, but her legs grasped the thin wooden shaft tightly. Ron was in a fit of laughter as the Bludger curved elegantly and sped back to her. She steadied herself and caught it between two hands.

"That was totally uncalled for!" she shrieked. Yep, she hated him still. He shrugged.

"You were out of it. Thought I'd do something nice and wake you up." Rose's eyes narrowed and she zoomed down to the box he had opened to take out the Bludger, grabbed the Beater's bat she'd be using the rest of the year at the Quidditch games, and raced back up. Ron caught on just as she threw the Bludger into the air and smacked it heavily.

It came whirring towards him, narrowly missing his head and only because he had nimbly ducked out of the way. If he hadn't, his face would've been flattened in so all that would be left was some red hair.

He hurried up to the Keeper's hoops and began to guard them. Suddenly, it was like a miniature game. She beat the Bludger towards his hoops with her bat; he hit them away with two large calloused hands. This went on until both were sweaty, overheated messes.

"Die, bitch!" Rose cried out, raising her club and swinging a final time. The score had been 0-0 until that last hit. Ron, so sleep-deprived and weighty, let the Bludger zoom into the nearest hoop, scoring Rose the winning point.

"Yes!"

"No!"

Ron flew hurriedly towards her, ready to tackle and take her down, his tired mind believing it was the only way to defeat her for good. She was too busy cheering herself on to notice the six foot slab of muscle hurtling her way.

They both twirled at the impact, spiraling aimlessly around the pitch before hitting the ground. Rose ended up on top until she turned over and was lying next to him instead.

And they both erupted in laughter.

It was the oddest either of them had either felt. Completely at peace, yet burdened with anger and happiness at the same time. The laughter somehow seemed to make it all better. They giggled until their stomach's hurt, their eyes were watering, and their heads ached from the noise and effort it took to make the sounds.

Ron looked at her first, sizing her up with dark blue eyes. He had never really taken the time to notice anything about her, too caught up in the hatred and such. Yet at that moment, she seemed to radiate sunshine and joy (something that was peculiar for angsty, dark little Rosie.) He found himself being drawn to her smile, her hands, her hazel-brown irises.

Her lips.

Unconsciously, almost as though she was the earth and gravity was sucking him closer, he moved towards her, his gazing never leaving her perfect mouth. She eyed him peculiarly when he came so close she could feel his breath against her neck. But she didn't pull away. She honestly didn't mind too much. It was sensual, yet somehow loving.

One hand, so much larger than his, ran up her arm, farther and farther until it was pressed against her throat. She could feel his pulse mix with her slightly overactive one. She could hear their hearts mesh into one single continuous beat. He moved his head over hers, lips half an inch from hers.

"Rose…" The word wasn't called out or moaned or said with any sexual inducement. He simply said her name.

And that woke her up.

She flushed dark red, coughed a small bit, and rolled out from under his touch. Her broomstick lay only feet away, and she crawled there, climbed atop it, and took off to the castle, attempting not to look back or let the tears flow free.

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><p><strong>Our first slight gaze into my perverted mind ;) And Draco's too! And our first almost kiss! (And definitely not our last either!)<strong>

**Review, my darlings! :D Or I'll sic my besties on you! I warn you, they bite ;)**


	9. Bruised

**I'm baaaack with another chapter really quickly! You'll notice my posting times is irregular :) And thank you all for the plentiful lovely reviews of last chapter! :D**

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><p>"I think you need some prompting." Annabelle didn't look away from the mirrors as Sam spoke.<p>

"Last time you said that, Kenzie ended up wearing a skirt the size of a tissue," she pointed out evenly. Kenzie flushed at the memory but didn't intervene, and Sam simply brushed away the accusation.

"It was for her own good. Besides, it ended with Draco leaving feeling rather awkward, and not the hateful kind of awkward, if you catch my drift," she replied. Eryn, who was sitting on the counter, swinging her legs idly, gave the brunette a strange look.

"How do you know? As far as we've heard, he only spoke to Kenzie." Sam dramatically tossed some curls over her shoulder.

"A girl knows these things," she sighed, one hand going to her forehead as she leaned back a bit. Kenzie snickered and rolled her blue eyes.

"Dammit!" Annabelle shrieked. "I can't get my Goddamn hair to stay the way I want it!" She furiously pulled off the headband and ponytail and started from scratch. In the mirror, all her friends could see her begin to screw up her face the way she did when studying her appearance.

"You're making faces again," Rose pointed out dully. Annabelle shot her a spiteful glance but didn't stop. It wasn't harming anyone.

"So, will you let me prompt your and Blaise's _situation_?" Sam put extreme emphasis and air quotes around the last word. Annabelle looked pained, pulling her curls over so they lay on her shoulder.

"I'm not entirely sure I trust you," she murmured. Sam brightened.

"You don't have to trust me! Just…do as I say without question!" A worried glance passed through the remaining four friends before Annabelle groaned a bit and nodded her consent. Sam fist-pumped the air. Kenzie face-palmed her forehead.

"Good luck," Kenzie whispered, but Sam took no notice. Her eyes were alight with excitement and brewing ideas.

"I've got a perfect plan!" A collective moan of chagrin, which she again ignored. "We'll make you and Blaise _accidentally_ run into each other after Potions today! You have Potions with the Slytherin's last today, right?" Annabelle nodded, and Sam grinned wider. "Excellent!"

Quiet came over the group as Sam washed her hands and Annabelle fussed over her makeup and hair. The other three were staring at their feet or scrutinizing themselves in the mirror silently. Except Rose looked even more aggravated than usual. Eryn was the first to notice.

"Are you alright?" Eryn asked tentatively. All eyes went to Rose at the sudden break in the hazy silence, and she felt her cheeks grow slightly warmer at the attention. But that blush only made her think of the night before. She shrugged in what she hoped looked like a nonchalant fashion.

"Fine," she managed to squeak. None of them bought it. She cleared her throat. "I'm fine. Really. I just didn't get as much…_practice_ in last night as I had hoped." Her stomach churned as dirty versions of the term practice marched through her head.

Thankfully, her friends bought it, though still looked a bit concerned. Rose tried to shrug it off and take her mind off of Ron.

It didn't really work.

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><p>"Splendid work, Mr. Zabini! I have never laid eyes on a finer rendition of the Hammerhead Shark Concoction!" Blaise bowed his dark head at Slughorn's approval, and Annabelle watched him with interest.<p>

He wasn't cocky like Draco was, or stupid like Crabbe and Goyle, or overbearing and trying-way-to-hard-to-be-sexy like Pansy. He was his own type of Slytherin. And that was one of the things that Annabelle decided she liked about him.

Of course, she couldn't be sure if her theories were correct, as she had yet to actually speak to him. That was to happen in less than two minutes, when Sam's plan began. She would go to the front to ask Slughorn something – though he would've left, but she wouldn't notice till she was there – and swing her bag so it knocked over Blaise's knapsack and they'd be forced to clean it up and chat a bit. She had yet to find a hitch in that plan, as after several small studies of her prey, she noticed that he liked to hang back after everyone and slowly put away his things. Another trait she quite enjoyed.

The bell rang loud and true, and everyone shuffled out, save for Blaise and Annabelle. The latter got up and made her way to the front, where Slughorn was tugging his briefcase and going out the teacher's door. As he shut it, an echo rang and only Blaise and Annabelle remained.

She spun around at the lack of sight of her teacher, her bag moving in rhythmic time. However, she didn't realize how close she actually was to Blaise. And instead of getting his bag, she caught him in the eye.

With the corner of a textbook.

"Shit!" Annabelle cried as Blaise let out a groan of pain and held his eye tenderly. She dropped her satchel to the ground and knelt down next to him, although this made him quite a bit taller than her, just like in real life (which meant he was quite tall, as Annabelle was of reasonable height herself.)

"I am so sorry," she emphasized, not acting whatsoever now. She was genuinely apologetic that she had hit this poor stranger that she was going to attempt to seduce in a few moments. That latter thought was rushed out of her head, however, when he gently removed his hand from his left eye.

And she was caught completely off-guard.

His eyes were hauntingly beautiful. The most agonizingly enthralling irises she had ever seen. They were dark, empty, unfathomable. She could probably lean in and see all the way down into his soul if she wished. Yet something was lurking behind the black curtain he had hung to shadow a secret. Something she wished to find out.

"You okay there?"

Annabelle shook her head to wake up, feeling her face heat up a tad, but ignored it. It was the first time she had heard Blaise speak, and his voice was deep, gravelly, almost the way she had imagined. She cleared her throat.

"Yeah, fine. How 'bout you? How's your eye?" She fought the urge to reach out and touch the blossoming bruise to see if it hurt. He shrugged.

"Same. But…are you able to maybe heal it some? I don't wanna look like Draco had after Thorne knocked his lights out." She let out a strangled laugh but nodded nonetheless and took out her wand.

"_Episkey_?" she asked. He nodded and she steadied her breathing, praying that that _A_ she'd gotten in Charms was just a fluke. Taking a deep breath, she pointed her wand tip at the bruise and said confidently, "_Episkey_!"

"_Shit_!" For a moment, Blaise looked in pain, and Annabelle began to panic. But the short-lived discomfort was soon taken over by what looked like tranquility. She watched as the purple mark slowly dissolve into nothing before her eyes. He gingerly touched the spot where she'd wounded him.

"Does it look any better?" he asked cautiously, and Annabelle nodded, proud of herself.

"It's gone! I did it!" Without thinking, she leaned in and wrapped her arms around his slender neck. She felt him stiffen at the contact, and hurriedly realized what she'd done, ready to pull away. But his own arms around her replaced fear with comfort.

"Thanks," he mumbled into her shoulder. She nodded.

"Anytime."

Then, rising and picking up her bag, she backed away and let him finish stuffing paper and quills into his. Together, they left the dungeons, headed for the Great Hall and dinner.

* * *

><p>The Gryffindor common room's normal buzz of talking students simmered down to a bare hum as the evening went on. After dinner, many students had retired to their common rooms to get started on the massive amount of homework teachers had assigned. And since many started early, they finished early, too. So by ten 'o' clock, the only people left were Rose, Annabelle, Kenzie, Sam, and Eryn, all of whom were attempting to study.<p>

"A potion consisting of crushed Boomslang skin and –"

"Polyjuice Potion!" Kenzie cut over Sam's talking. Rose gave her a look.

"You should really wait until the question is finished being asked before shouting out an answer," Rose reprimanded her friend. Kenzie flushed but didn't look displeased.

It was at that precise moment that noise came from the boy's dormitories, and down clambered Harry and Ron, both clad in pajamas and hair mussed a bit. Ron yawned widely, but stopped midway when he saw Rose curled up in the corner of the sofa, reading away, attempting to become invisible. He kept his gaze blank and simply finished his yawn.

"I'm getting a midnight snack," he informed Harry.

"Even though it's only ten?" Sam chuckled. Ron shrugged and left, and Rose unfurled herself a bit, stretching her legs out. Kenzie moved her own so they were between Rose's legs and the back of the couch.

"What's up, Harry?" Annabelle asked curiously, noticing he hadn't left with Ron. Obviously, there was a motive behind their sudden appearance.

Harry turned slightly pink and embarrassed. "I wanted to talk to Eryn," he mumbled. All her friends eyed the pair and kept down the urge to making _ooooooooh_-ing noises. Eryn set her book down.

"Yes?" she asked, trying to mask her interest and hope. Harry nervously eyed all her friends, to which she waved a hand. "They'll keep quiet. There's a good chance they'll find out what you're going to say anyway."

Even Harry couldn't deny that one. With a bit of a grin, he knelt down next to Eryn and put his hands on the arm of the chair.

"About…the Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts –"

"Did I not thank you?" she cut over. "Because if I didn't, then thanks. Thanks so much."

He chuckled. "You have, actually. Numerous times. So no, that's not what I was going to say. Um…well, I wanted to ask you if you'd…_gowimetoHogsm_…" She gave him an odd look.

"I'm sorry?" He turned the color of strawberries.

"Will you…go with me…to Hogsmeade? On Halloween?"

Eryn nearly fell out of her chair, as did all of her friends (except for Kenzie, who was too far gone in her book to hear a thing.) Without seeming too desperate, Eryn nodded, biting back the world's most excited grin.

Her smile was only rivalled by his. He looked like a child who had just gotten Christmas, his birthday, and Easter all in one. He stood up, but didn't leave just yet. One hand went to Eryn's curls, and he slowly lowered himself to her.

They were half an inch apart when something interrupted them.

"_Don't you want me, baby? Don't you want me, oooooh_!" Kenzie sang loudly, making every head turn in her direction. She looked up curiously from her book. "What?" she muttered innocently. Harry awkwardly backed away and simply patted Eryn on the head before leaving.

Kenzie immediately got numerous slaps to the arm, a scoop or two to the ass and her boobs, and then got kicked out a few minutes before Eryn and Sam left as well.

* * *

><p><strong>Another almost-kiss! :D YAY! I don't have much on ErynHarry or Blaise/Annabelle so I figured, what the hell? ;) More Neville/Sam next chappie! I'm super psyched to write it!**

**Review, s'il vous plait! :)**


	10. Fervent

**Another chapter that's just a bit longer than expected :) But I'm guessing you won't complain**

* * *

><p>October rolled around with a sharp wind and frozen ground. Possibly the coldest October Sam had ever seen. When she walked in her thin aquamarine rain boots, the chill from the earth beneath her made her toes curl. The feeling of Jack Frost nipping at her nose and ears was strong. It was all she could do not to bundle up and head back into the common room.<p>

But as much as she enjoyed the company of attractive men in her warm bed as opposed to Hagrid knee-deep in Bowtruckles, she was an avid student and wasn't about to let her grades go out the window for comfort's sake. And that was why she was trekking down the hill to Hagrid's Hut with her scarf almost covering her eyes.

"Gather roun'! Everybo'y go' wha' they need ta study Harlots?" his loud voice boomed. Several students, including Sam, choked up.

"We're studying _harlots_?" Terry Boot cried. "What in _Merlin's name_ possessed you –"

"Not them kind o' harlots!" Hagrid chastised, making Terry's cheeks turn even pinker. "_Harlots_, with a capi'al _H_! They're distantly rela'ed to the wood nymphs o' France, bein' a bit more brash and such than they're cousins. Here's one now."

All heads turned to the forest where a beautiful creature was moving out towards them. The jaws of every male Gryffindor and Ravenclaw alike fell to the floor. The eyes of every female narrowed. Hagrid beamed proudly.

"This is –"

"Oh, please, sugarlips, I can take it from here." The Harlot's voice was sensual, yet full of power and courage. Very different from the wood nymphs, who could barely finish a song without blushing at applause.

She stepped closer to the crowd of sixth years, eyeing the girls like they were competition and the guys like they were fresh meat ready to be taken. "My name is Lottie. And as dear old Hagrid said, I am a Harlot." She brushed her willowy fingers against Dean Thomas' cheek, making him shudder.

"I guess you'll be studying me, won't you, boys?" She chuckled in that lusty way that drove every guy mad. Even Hagrid's face became placid for a moment before he shook that away and cleared his throat.

"Now, wha' you'll be doin' today is studyin' up on Harlots while resistin' the temptations tha' Lo'ie will be givin' ya," he managed to squeak. His voice quivered at the end. "You'll be paired up with the opposite gender so as to make sure the girls keep the guys in check."

He listed off all of the students with their partners.

And, as luck would have it, Sam became paired with the one person she really didn't have much interest in at that moment.

The odd thing about Neville was that he wasn't flustered, not in the least, by the words and tone of the Harlot. Rather, he became slightly intrigued. And he wasted no time in opening up his book and beginning to read up. Sam plopped down as far as she could from him and did the same.

"Here, it's on page seventy-seven," he told her, not taking his eyes off the textbook. Sam tried to keep her own blue eyes down as well.

She found his place to be a picture of a very attractive yet scantily clad woman. She was shorter than the average girl, but her curvaceous chest and hips as well as her long flowing hair made up for that. Her skin was a light blue or aquamarine, and her curls were the color of chocolate. All in all, she was gorgeous.

"According to this excerpt," Neville cut in, scooching closer to her, and making Sam cringe a little, "Harlots are derived from the family of the wood nymph –"

"- yes, Hagrid said that –"

"- but were banned to be called as such when in their presence, for they are believed to be an outright disgrace to the virginal name they uphold." For the first time that day, Neville's cheeks filled with color at the word virginal. Sam rolled her eyes.

"Grow up, Longbottom," she snapped. He looked at her oddly.

"You called me Longbottom."

"I did."

"Why?"

Sam scoffed at him, looking into his deep russet eyes. "Maybe because the last time you spoke to me, it was a bloody insult that I'm not about to get over so damn quickly!"

Neville's face was confused for a moment before recognition, realization, and memories covered it instead. He sighed and bit and looked back down at his book.

"Nothing wrong with being honest, I think," he mumbled. Sam stared at him like he had a third eye.

"What the bloody hell does that mean?" she shrieked. "That I don't love my friends? That I wouldn't be able to commit to one guy? You bloody git, you're such a hypocrite!" Now Neville's eyes narrowed at bit.

"How am I to be compared to you?" he asked a bit louder than intended. People began to look at the pair bickering. "I am nothing like you, Sam. I don't go through blokes like they've got no emotions –"

"No, but you don't take risks! You haven't seen a girl starkers, haven't done the nasty." A sly smirk crossed Sam's fair face. "I bet you haven't been kissed yet either."

Neville's entire face – from his forehead to the base of his throat – turned crimson. His eyebrows lowered and his fiery glare was like nothing anyone had ever seen from him before. Sweet little Neville, the pansy of Gryffindor, was mad. And it scared the shit out of everyone.

"There! You see! I got you, pinned down little pussy Neville! I found something that will actually make you angry! Oh, bloody hell, this is rich!" Sam let out a cackle. By that time, everyone had stopped studying and was watching the fight. Even Lottie and Hagrid were staring at them. "Merlin, this is too good! Oh, I'm going to tell e–"

She didn't finish what she said, though, for a hand grabbed onto the back of her neck, and she was yanked forward. And before she could register anything, she felt a pair of cool chapped lips meet her own.

Her eyes were the size of Galleons. Her gaze couldn't leave Neville's head of charcoal hair. She noticed that his own orbs were shut tight. And she hated to admit it, but Neville bloody Longbottom was an amazing kisser.

Soon enough, her slender fingers entwined themselves in his strands of hair. She let her eyelids flutter closed. She felt his left hand wrap around her lower back, cling to the side of her waist. Her world was on fire, as the ground around them seemed to melt and the dismal gray clouds floated away to make room for a bright sun.

But that didn't last as long as she would've liked. Neville broke off the kiss after a minute to stare at her darkly. They were both panting as the class gawked. Sam grinned a bit, thinking about the challenge and how she was now one step closer to getting out of the punishment, and leaned in to continue and maybe deepen their antics.

Neville brushed her off with ease, pulled his bag and book from the frozen earth, stood up, and walked back up to the castle, though class wasn't due to finish for another forty-five minutes. Everyone stared at his back. Especially Sam.

* * *

><p>"So let me get this straight: Thorne is in love?" Blaise said slowly. Draco nodded, a triumphant smirk on his thin pale lips.<p>

"Uh-huh."

"And with…_you_?" The tone he said you with was contemptuous, unbelieving, and Draco immediately took offence. His gray eyes narrowed maliciously.

"Yes, with me. You got a problem with that?" he snapped. Blaise put both hands up in surrender.

"It's not that I don't believe you can't be loved. It's just the fact that…well, Thorne hates your guts with so much fiery passion that if she and the sun were compared, she would win." Draco held up a thin finger and shook it in his friend's dark face.

"_Au contraire_, my dim friend. That passion was only misconstrued as hatred when, in reality, she is bearing an emotion far beyond the reaches of loathing. An emotion known as love." Blaise snorted.

"Draco, what in the hell do you know of love? The only person you've actually dated instead of just screwing was Pansy – or should I say, _is_ Pansy, as you've failed to dump her yet." Draco shrugged.

"I know enough. At least more than you, Zabini. How many girls have you shagged in your lifetime?" Blaise's cheeks turned slightly pink. "And I'm dealing with Pansy. We're having a rough patch –"

"- and by that, you mean she won't sleep with you unless you commit." Blaise laughed. "You are so pussywhipped!"

"Except I'm not committing! This is how I'll get out of this damned relationship without having to deal with a failed Bat Bogey Hex! I'll space us out more and more until she gives in to another guy. I can be the good innocent person who got cheated on, and we'll all live happily ever after. Except Pansy because she's a whore."

"Ain't that the truth," Blaise mumbled. As he did so, they heard the wall slide open and in walked – speak of the devil and Draco meant that literally – Kenzie Thorne. The only difference, however, was that two girls were linked on either of her arms.

"No non-Slytherin's allowed down here," Draco called out. The three stopped and looked at him. Kenzie rolled her eyes.

"Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist, Malfoy. We're just studying," she replied. Draco's ever-present smirk returned.

"Ah, thinking of getting in my pants already?" he chuckled. She immediately put on a sappy, lovesick look – the look that Lavender Brown had recently taken to giving Ron Weasley. One hand went over her forehead dramatically and she leaned back into Rose and Eryn.

"You know just how to talk to me, _Dracy-Poo_." Her friends and her snickered while Draco's high cheekbones flooded with color. She imitated his annoying smug smile. "I see how it is. When you're fucking Parkinson, she calls out the exact same words."

"And you will be too." Kenzie felt her own face turn a bit pink but attempted to hide it. She had no bloody idea why her body was doing such a thing to betray her mind. She didn't find anything appealing about that thought! Nothing!

"Excuse me while I puke my guts out, Draco."

"What did you call me?"

Kenzie, who had just been going up the stairs with Rose and Eryn, stopped in her tracks. Both the blonde girls looked at her curiously, and even Draco didn't look pretentious about it all. He was honestly curious, and…she could barely make out such a foreign expression on his delicate – shit, she meant _nauseating_ – face. It looked like…innocence.

"I said Malfoy," she said quickly. Everyone eyed her warily, but only Eryn had the confidence to speak up.

"No, you said Dracko." Rose slapped a hand over Eryn's mouth.

"Draco," both Kenzie and the boy in question snapped, then felt their faces turn the color of strawberries. Kenzie took hold of Eryn and Rose's hands and dragged them up the stairs, leaving the two Slytherin boys in stunned silence.

In the girl's dormitories, where they were left alone, Kenzie dropped onto her bed and leaned forward so her head was between her legs. Rose sat beside her.

"Isn't that just for nausea?" she commented. Kenzie grumbled.

"I feel nauseous. I mean, I fucking called him Draco! It's messed!" she cried. Eryn shrugged and squished her bum between them, getting comfortable, leaning into Rose's shoulder. Kenzie glared at her. "If you hadn't pointed out that I had, in fact, said his first name instead of his last, I wouldn't be feeling this shitty!"

"But I think you have to come to realize something," Eryn prompted. Kenzie glared at her harder.

"And what is that, O Wise One?"

"Well…that you might not hate as much as you used."

And Kenzie knew, deep down, that she was right.

* * *

><p><strong>SAM AND NEVILLE KISSED! :D:D:D:D I was so psyched to write that! But why did he leave immediately after? I know, but you never will! ;) or at least not until I finish the fic!<strong>

**And what's going on with Kenzie?**

**REVIEW! :D**


	11. Shirt

"You have got to be joking!" Rose scoffed loudly, with the most entertained expression on her face. Annabelle, Kenzie, and Eryn shared her amusement. The only person not looking as though they were hardly able to contain laughter was Sam, the woman in question.

"I'm not," she muttered quietly. "I'm really not."

"And neither of you vomited?" Annabelle gawked. Sam shook her head.

"Nope."

"Or, you know, spontaneously combusted?"

Sam patted her sides and crossed legs. "Do I look like a pile of skin and broken bones?" she asked rhetorically.

The five friends were gathered once again, the weekend after Neville and Sam's fateful lip-lock. The grass was still frozen and cold, but they'd brought out blankets to sit on and coats to bundle up in and were watching the Giant Squid poke his tentacles out of the Black Lake. No one else was out, but they didn't mind. It was a nice change from the hustle and bustle of their common rooms.

"But you know what the strangest thing is?" Eryn said suddenly, breaking off the happiness and looking curious instead. All her friends stared at her. "You don't seem self-righteous about it all. Like, you aren't rubbing your success in our faces like we'd expect."

A cold look overcame Sam as her memories swirled within her head. Of what Neville had said to her. Of how she felt so empty and at a loss for words when his claims hit her head-on, without deliberation or consideration of her feelings.

"…_You treat people like their dispensable_…"

"…_They see your beauty and only want to get into your pants_…"

"…_I don't like you, Samantha_…"

"Sam?" Kenzie's voice cut through the fog of Neville Longbottom. She shook her head, clearing the smoke so that she was back in reality. Her friends were all gazing at her worriedly, but she smiled a very convincing smile.

"I've just become a better person. Y'know what I mean? I'm grown since the beginning of the year. I've come to learn that sex is not all that matters."

"It's been two months in, Sam," Rose pointed out, always the cynic.

"And guess what I heard?" All eyes turned to Annabelle now. "A dirty little rumor about our dear little Sam! One that involves her and Neville Longbottom's lips!"

Kenzie drew an over exaggerated gasp. Eryn pretended to faint into Rose's arms, much to Sam's embarrassment. She felt her heated cheeks grow even more so when Annabelle continued.

"And, apparently, he left in a huff."

"In a huff?" Eryn giggled.

"In a huff!" Annabelle repeated loudly. "The first guy ever to kiss Samantha Calloway and not bed her ten minutes later!"

"What an outright scandal!" Kenzie shrieked, her smile never leaving. Sam kicked her fluently.

"Stuff it," she grumbled. "It's not bloody funny! I swear I've never been kissed like that before! He wasn't all about sex or getting into my knickers! It was…different, somehow. I don't know about it all, just that I want it again. _Badly_." All the girls shared a knowing look before smiling broadly.

"_Sam and Neville, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S_-"

"I'm leaving, bitches!" And she got off the grass and left.

* * *

><p>Harry wandered up one of the many staircases to get to the Gryffindor common room. It was late evening – almost curfew, to be exact – and he was ready to drop onto his bed and fall fast asleep. Classes had drained him of anything he had left.<p>

He was drifting farther up until he heard a noise that greatly resembled giggling. Girlish laughter, coming from down the hall of one of the flights of stairs. He turned his head towards the noise and slowly made his way down, trying to identify the sounds.

No one else seemed to be on that level, for some reason. As if they had purposely avoided the squeals of joy coming from a certain room. He only ran into one person on his way.

"Rose!" he called to where she sat, one knee up by her chest, the other dangling off the edge of the windowsill she sat on. A thick novel entitled Impulse was in her hand as she looked up curiously to see what he wanted.

"Hmm?"

"Do you hear that?"

A moment of silence passed between them as Rose listened to the quiet being broken by giggles and chuckles. Her face blanched a bit but she hid it well enough for Harry not to question why her skin suddenly resembled that of Draco Malfoy.

"That giggling, you mean?" she asked, trying to keep the anxiety out of her tone. She knew who it was making those sounds. She just didn't want Harry to find out.

"Yeah. Any idea who it might be?" he replied. She shrugged and looked back at her book.

"No idea. But if I were you, I'd head up to the common room before Filch skins you alive and mounts your head in his office." Harry quirked an eyebrow.

"You're out here. Why can't I be?"

"Because, Harry, my dear, I am twice the liar you'll ever be. And to add to that, I have the femininity that you lack that makes Filch think twice before sending me to Dumbledore. Plus, I could kill him with my bare hands," she said casually. He let out a bit of a laugh.

"You can't."

"You know Thurston Wentworth?"

"Who?"

"Exactly."

Gulping rather loudly, Harry put both hands up in surrender and backed away towards the sound. Rose smiled to herself at her success in scaring the shit out of him.

As he moved further down the corridors, the sounds became louder until he could tell they were just within the confines of the Charms room. Taking a shuddering breath, he took hold of the doorknob, turned, and yanked it open.

And he was met with the sight of a half-naked Eryn, a partially-naked Kenzie, and a completely nude Sam.

Having a pillow fight with the Charms cushions.

He gawked for a second as they couldn't tell he was there. His face became beet red and he averted his eyes from his long-time crush's nearly exposed chest. With as much silence as he could muster, he closed the door again and ran to the common room so fast he left skid marks.

* * *

><p>The day of Hogsmeade arrived and as such, Eryn was practically bouncing off the walls with excitement. She was about to have her first real date with Harry fucking Potter! It was all she could do not to fling herself off the Astronomy Tower and trust him to catch her.<p>

"Okay, Eryn?" Rose said calmly, holding her shoulders down so she wouldn't fly away. "Chill _out. Now_."

"But I'm so freaking pumped!" Eryn cried out, making several students look at her oddly. She shrugged it off. Being the strange kid in Hogwarts was no different than Harry being the Chosen One. It came by birth and there was nothing they could do to stop those names from emitting other's mouths.

"I'm so happy!" she squealed, and bounded down the walkway leading to Hogsmeade. Every other student in third year or over was behind her and her friends, who were attempting to keep up.

"Why isn't Sam coming to Hogsmeade again?" Annabelle asked curiously. Kenzie shrugged.

"No clue. She said she had to study, but we all know that's code for I'm fucking some seventh year. So, yeah, the norm, really." Rose and Annabelle chuckled but nodded in agreement. Nothing new there.

They moved inland, towards the middle of small village. Eryn immediately stopped at the post office, shifting from foot to foot. As he friends neared her, she fixed her hair and attempted to make her cheeks look less red.

"You look fine, don't worry!" Kenzie assured her. She patted down some of her friend's hair as she smiled nervously. The real Eryn, hidden beneath excitement and jubilance, was finally showing. The Eryn that was anxious for her first date with Harry.

"He'll be here at ten," Eryn informed them for the thousandth time. But they loved her, and nodded as though the information was new. "What time is it now?"

"Nine fifty-eight," Rose replied, looking at her watch. "Just a few more minutes."

"We'll be in the post office. Rose and Kenzie need to get quills and envelopes anyways," Annabelle said. "And don't run off without giving us some sort of signal. We want to know everything afterwards!"

Eryn laughed comfortably and gave them a thumbs up before they ran into the shop and began to look around. The butterflies continued to erupt within Eryn's belly. This was it. She was finally doing it!

* * *

><p>By the time that two 'o' clock rolled around, Eryn was willed back to Hogwarts by her friends. They'd wished to take her out to the Hog's Head – it was quieter than the Three Broomsticks, gave them more privacy for tears – but she'd merely shook off the idea and told them that she just wanted to stand outside forever. The next best thing was heading back to the school.<p>

"I can't believe he didn't show," Eryn murmured into her scarf. Rose and Kenzie had their arms around her shoulders and waist, and Annabelle was holding Rose's hand. It was possibly the saddest they'd ever seen her. Happy little Eryn was lower than any number of dead people buried into the earth. And that scared them a bit.

"Something must've come up –"

"Maybe Snape gave him detention, the slimy git –"

"Remember, he asked you out. You can easily say you forgot as well!"

They continued to put out ideas as to why he didn't come, but Eryn knew that there was small chance of any of them actually happening. She just wanted to curl up into her bed with a blanket and sleep away all her troubles.

They arrived back at the castle and climbed up the stairs until they got to the Gryffindor common room. Rose assured the Fat Lady that Eryn wouldn't cause as much ruckus as usual. The Fat Lady held her to that with ease, as tears were practically leaking down her face.

"To hell with him, I say!" Kenzie shouted, plopping onto the sofa next to her friend. Eryn leaned into her as Annabelle was by her other side and Rose took the armchair.

"Yeah."

"You can do better than some asshole who stood you up!" Annabelle offered.

"You're right."

"Let's go burn something!" Rose cried. Several odd looks made her shrug and sink back. "Just a suggestion."

"I still love him," Eryn murmured. "I always will."

As she said so, the stairs leading to the boy's dormitories clattered and down came Sam, her hair a mess of sex, her shirt slightly open. It was more than obvious to her friends – who had seen sexed-up Sam before – that she had just shagged some bloke in Gryffindor. This wasn't worrisome at all.

"What's up with you?" Sam asked curiously, seeing Eryn looking pathetic and sad. She shrugged.

"Harry didn't show up to our date," she murmured. A slightly change in emotion on Sam's face as she hugged her friend around the neck.

"Poor muffin," she sighed. A bright smile lit her lips afterwards, though. "I know what'll cheer you up!"

And from behind her back, she procured a silk black top. It was longer and larger than Sam was by a fair bit and smelled faintly of cologne. Eryn took it kindly and smiled at the sight.

"It's beautiful," she mumbled. "Thanks."

"No problem. Just be sure to wear it tomorrow, alright?" Sam threw her friends a suggestive wink before waltzing out of the common room and down to the Ravenclaw house. Eryn looked at her friends curiously.

"What's up with her?" Annabelle shrugged.

"Who knows? Sexed-up Sam is just as dangerous as drunk Kenzie or angry Rose."

* * *

><p>Because she loved her friend, and because she had nothing else to wear, Eryn took Sam's advice and threw the thin black shirt over her head. She got several strange looks from students going down the halls to breakfast, but otherwise was treated as was the norm. She plopped down at the Gryffindor table next to Rose.<p>

"You look chipper," Rose commented, and got a couple giggles at the new word.

Eryn shrugged. "I'll deal with the Harry shit later. Right now, I want cookies." And she grabbed a big chocolate chip cookie from the center of the table. Sam, who was sitting across the table with Kenzie and Annabelle was attempting to keep laughs in that no one took notice of.

"Um, Eryn?"

A nervous voice came from behind her and Annabelle gaped. Eryn's blood froze and her breath caught. Slowly, she turned around to face Harry fucking Potter. The man who had caused her so much bloody heartache last night. The man she was still so bloody in love with. The man she both loved and despised.

"Harry," she replied in what she hoped was a cool, uncaring voice. It came out a bit more flustered than she had meant it to.

"Um…why are you wearing my shirt?"

And every one of the girls froze.

* * *

><p><strong>CLIFFHANGER! dun, dun, DUUUUUNNNN... :)<strong>

**So, a lot of liney thingies here, but I couldn't put it together. Didn't make a lot of sense otherwise.**

**With any luck, you'll find out all the mysteries to this story next time :) Or at least this mystery. The rest will wait :D**

**REVIEW! :D**


	12. Drama

**And here it is. The much anticipated (lol by me, mainly) chapter of How to Seduce the Unwilling Asshole :) It's a bit longer, just cause I love you ;D Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>"Um…why are you wearing my shirt?"<p>

And every one of the girls froze.

Eryn was the first to speak. She coughed a bit, attempting to reduce the awkwardness that was incredibly tangible in the air. All around them, the sounds of students laughing and chatting continued, as though the most incredibly stroppy thing on Earth hadn't just happened.

"Um, it's not. It's Sam's." Harry shook his head.

"No, it's mine. I lost it a couple of days ago."

"But…Sam…I…" Eryn was at a loss for words. She was turning between her crush and her friend so fast that you'd think she'd attain whiplash. Everyone else who was listening in had already pieced together the little mystery. Eryn was the last one to really have the whole puzzle sink in and make some sense.

"Uh," Harry mumbled, his face the color of a tomato. "Yeah. Right. Okay, you keep it. I've got to go…somewhere else."

He raced out of the Great Hall at the speed of light, and leaving Sam to be devoured by Eryn, much like she had expected to. Except it was a bit of a delayed reaction.

Her face was stony, empty, completely blank for almost a full minute. No words came from her mouth. Her blue eyes let nothing on. All that they could tell was that she was shocked and slowly digesting the information she had just received.

The next movement came quick as a flash. Eryn threw her bag over her shoulder, knocking several plates and dishes to their demise on the cobblestone floor, and stalked out of the Hall, too. She made an effort to kick the door as hard as she could, so the echo was the only thing left of her.

Rose, Annabelle, and Kenzie turned to look at Sam, who had an expression unchanged by the little display of drama before them. She finished buttering her toast before taking a bite and smiling at the taste.

This didn't last, as Rose took hold of the bread and chucked it all the way to the Slytherin table (where it landed promptly on Draco Malfoy's head, much to Kenzie's pleasure). Sam scowled playfully.

"You owe me some toast."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Kenzie cried out. Sam quirked an eyebrow.

"What d'you mean?" she replied innocently.

"I don't know if you noticed, Sam, but you gave a shirt to Eryn that belonged to Harry. And we can all figure out why you were in possession of an article of his clothing. It's obvious." Annabelle narrowed her eyes for affect. "What isn't obvious is why the fuck you would give it to Eryn! To taunt her? Make her jealous? She's your friend, Sam! Friends don't do that to other friends!"

"Look, I'm sorry, I couldn't help myself –"

"Bullshit!" Rose screamed. Sam didn't get angry and just shook her head.

"It's true! I stayed back to do some fifth year from Ravenclaw, but it turned out that he ditched me for Hogsmeade. I found Harry wandering the halls outside of the library, and questioned him on why he wasn't at the village for his date with Eryn.

"He said that he saw something he'd rather not have seen. A little pillow fight between Eryn, Kenzie, and myself." Annabelle looked at Kenzie accusingly, to which she blushed lightly. "He said he was afraid to confront Eryn about it. And so he stayed back to spare them both the embarrassment."

"Fat load of good it did them!" Kenzie grumbled. "Now Eryn's pissed and heartbroken, and Harry is just in a fucking terrible mess."

"So you're answer to helping a guy get over his obsession with your best friend is to shag him?" Annabelle questioned angrily. Sam nodded.

"Yep!"

"You realize that's sick, right?"

"That's how I cope with stuff. Sex is an awesome outlet. Especially virgins." She winked, and all three girls gasped.

"You didn't," Rose muttered. Sam giggled and winked again.

"A lady doesn't kiss and tell."

"And you are no fucking lady."

All three left, Sam in their dust, refusing to feel guilty.

* * *

><p>"I heard that your friend, Sam, shagged Harry Potter."<p>

Annabelle jumped violently. As her heart raced, she furiously looked up from her spot on the ground. The girl above was familiar. Someone she hadn't actually seen in a month.

"Harriet?" she asked with almost doubt in her voice. The girl nodded, looking most pleased that she was recognizable. "What are you doing here?"

"I go to school here!" she giggled. "Silly Annabelle. God and I haven't seen you for what seems like forever!"

"Yeah…um, can I ask you something?" Harriet nodded. "Why did you lie to me about Eryn talking to you? You could've just said that you were interested in Blaise." Her heart rate went up again.

Why the hell did this keep happening? She wasn't interested in Blaise! There was no way on earth that she fancied Blaise in the slightest! They had had one conversation throughout the entirety of six years at Hogwarts! It made no damn clue to her.

"I'm sorry for lying. I just…I didn't know how to confront you about the topic. I wanted a way that seemed…cool. But anyways, that's not what I wanted to talk about! Are the rumors true?"

"What rumors?"

"About Sam Calloway shagging Harry Potter!" Annabelle groaned loudly and let her head fall into her hands.

"Fuck, that news got around that fast?" she groaned. Harriet nodded, unbothered by this slip in emotion by the other girl.

"So it's true then?" she giggled.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"And it was his first time?"

"Yes."

Harriet sighed, sliding down the wall until she was seated next to Annabelle. She smiled a bit. "Y'know, guys never really got my interest. I find the same sex more…_appealing_, if you catch my drift."

Annabelle quirked an eyebrow and gave Harriet a once-over. She wasn't sure what to make of this girl. Not sure exactly where she had been for the past month. Not sure if she should trust her. Hell, in short, she wasn't sure of anything.

"Um…that's cool, I guess." Harriet seemed oblivious to the intense awkward air that hung around them, as she bounced more and smiled.

"Yeah. So, I was wondering if you were free tomorrow night to help me study up on my OWLs," Harriet grinned. Annabelle quirked an eyebrow.

"The hell…OWLs are for fifth years. And in, like, June! It's fucking October!"

Harriet shrugged. "I'm _in_ fifth year. And I like to get a head start on things!" She quickly looked worried, though. "Is that a bad thing? Oh, God, I should've known that being a keener would lead to no one liking me!"

And she sniffled.

Literally sniffled.

Annabelle stared at her. Not only was she supposedly a lesbian who might have a thing for her, she was also bipolar? Awkwardly, Annabelle placed a hand on her back, to which Harriet immediately responded. Without another word, she flung herself onto the opposite girl, sobbing into her shoulder.

"Um…don't cry?" Annabelle said awkwardly. Harriet sniffled dramatically before pulling away a bit and looking at Annabelle kindly.

"Thank you," she smiled weakly. Annabelle grinned in return, but was cut off by something she hadn't expected in a million years.

Harriet's lips.

With strength she had not known she possessed, she took hold of Harriet's shoulders and pushed her away, holding her back in case she put up a fight. It took the brunette a moment to process that she'd been dragged from the kiss. A scowl covered her face.

"What's wrong?" she asked innocently.

"You bloody kissed me! That's what's wrong!" Annabelle shrieked. Harriet shrugged, making Annabelle's arms go up and down with them.

"And?"

"You…you don't just kiss people!"

"I do. And I'll do it again with ease," she smirked, leaning in, trying to capture Annabelle's mouth again. But she quickly jumped up, curls bouncing, and looked sternly down at the younger, confused girl. "Is something the matter?"

"Yeah, a little!" Annabelle cried. "I haven't seen you in a bloody month and you suddenly decide to kiss me? Am I the only one who sees something wrong with that?"

"Yep!"

"Just…tell me this. Who the fuck are you? And of what interest is Blaise Zabini to you?" Harriet sighed, rising as well, and leaned against the wall. Her eyes fell upon Annabelle in interest.

"I'm –"

"Harriet?"

Both girls twirled around to face…

* * *

><p>"My, don't we look lonely without our pack of cronies around us?" Draco's voice rang out as he spotted Kenzie sitting in the library. She was really the only one, as it was one of the last nice October days and everyone else was outside somewhere. Her blue eyes barely lifted from the paper.<p>

"Why insult yourself, Malfoy?" she snapped back. "I'm pretty sure I've already taken into account what an asshole you are."

Draco tutted and took a seat next to her. "Aren't we fussy," he chuckled. She snapped her book closed with a huff.

"What's with this _we_ business?" she countered. He shrugged.

"Well, seeing as you have this perpetual, undying love for me, I figure that I'd make you feel better by including myself with you any time possible." She rolled her eyes.

"I don't know what you're smoking, but it's obviously taken a toll on your already low intelligence. If I were you, I'd stop and leave now before I make a bigger fool of myself," she snapped. He shrugged.

"You see? This is how love goes, my dear. First you're in denial of your feelings. Then anger at them. Then bargaining, as though you would be able to find anyone quite as perfect as myself." She let out a low scoff at this, but he continued as though she hadn't interrupted. "Then depression, into which you may never fall out of. And finally, acceptance."

She eyed him before laughing bitterly. "Those are the five stages of _grief_, you dolt!" He shrugged again.

"Same difference. You'll end up brokenhearted either way."

"Alright, let me spell out my feelings for you in a way that you will find perfectly clear," she began slowly. His smirk never fell, his gray eyes just boring into her blue ones. "I am not, nor will I ever be, in love with a dick-faced, asshole, cunt-loving, whore-fucking, scab-eating, perpetually-smirking, gray-eyed, two-faced, caddy, pompous, self-centered prick!"

"Good thing you aren't in love with Goyle, then, eh?"

She shrieked out loud, frustrated at his rejection of the fact that she was not in love with him. As she did so, her head flew back, and she unintentionally stuck her chest out a bit. His gaze floated down immediately, noticing how the thin white blouse hardly kept in all of her chest. He could almost see the lace of her bra –

"Pervert!" she cried, and slapped him soundly. He held his stinging cheek as she looked at him with fury. "Just because you are given a clear shot of my tits does not put you at liberty to stare at them!"

Draco sneered. "You wish, Mudblood. As if I would even consider you to be anything but an eyesore. I only look at perfection."

"Yeah? Than explain why you're so attracted to Parkinson's scrawny little ass?" He felt his cheeks turn pink at the name. The one he hadn't heard for quite a while, and wished to ward off forever.

"She's such a little whore," he mumbled. Kenzie nodded.

"Glad to hear that you're finally seeing what others have been for a while now."

"Well, at least she's not –"

"FUCK YOU!"

Both Kenzie and Draco turned at the sound of a voice that belonged to neither of them. Out the door of the library, leading to a hallway, were two students. The first – a male – was red in the face and looking quite pissed off. The second – female – was rather calm, and even a bit smug. Though Kenzie knew this girl well enough to see that she was really dying inside.

"I know you want to," Sam chuckled. Neville crossed his arms.

"No, actually, I'm the only male in this school who isn't madly in love with your body!" he snapped in reply.

"I beg to differ. Otherwise, why would you be so opposed to my shagging of Harry Potter?" This of course stopped him a bit. He shook his head of any ideas of actually _liking_ her though, and they were gone just as quickly as they had come along.

"Because it's your life, and I am only able to watch from the side and hope that no other blokes fall into your traps. You think that shagging every guy in school or seducing the ones who don't want you will make you more popular. But in reality, do you even hear what some people are saying behind your back?"

This got Sam's attention, but she tried to conceal it. A cool, composed look fell over her features and she shrugged, looking at her nails. "What do they say?"

"That you're a whore. No better than Pansy fucking Parkinson. That when you get out of Hogwarts, you'll be a prostitute to married wizards and druggies. That no one will ever love you, and you'll die alone, from some sexually transmitted disease," she snapped.

The silence was unbearable. By this time, Kenzie and Draco weren't the only ones who had gathered to see this screaming match. A number of students in their year, and even some above and below, were gawking at the image of Sam Calloway getting insulted. And not doing anything about it. Only Neville had the nerve to break the quiet.

"Exactly. Because you know it's true," he concluded, and stalked off. Everyone watched Sam for a reaction, but none came. She was frozen still. Kenzie quickly hurried in and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. With some force, they began to walk off, leaving the group of witches and wizards to just watch her leave.

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><p><strong>Just because I'm a bitch, I'm leaving in a cliffhanger :) And you love me!<strong>

**REVIEW! :D**


	13. Quidditch

**Here is yet another chapter, my lovelies :) Sorry for a wait, I've been tired and homework and yada yada yada... You understand ;) But it's here! And you get to find out who Harriet is! Enjoy!**

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><p>"I'm –"<p>

"Harriet?"

Both girls twirled around to face…Blaise Zabini. His dark skin looked odd in the sunlight, as opposed to the dim lamps of the Slytherin common room. Annabelle watched his gaze turn between the pair before indefinitely landing on Harriet.

"Quit bothering Annabelle, Ria," he muttered. She crossed her own arms, mimicking him perfectly.

"You broke up with me, Blaise, meaning that what I do is no longer your concern. And don't call me Ria!" she snapped in reply. Annabelle was too shocked to make a sound, watching the events before her unfold.

She had definitely not seen Blaise and Harriet once being a couple coming. After all, she _had_ come up to Annabelle and asked about Blaise Zabini, then basically spilt that she liked him. But then again, not minutes ago, Annabelle had shared her first kiss with her.

Ugh.

Her first kiss had been wasted. The thought made her mentally gag.

"Only because you're a fucking lesbian slut!" Blaise shouted, and this made Annabelle wake from her short reverie.

"Who the hell are you calling a slut?" she suddenly called. Both Harriet and Blaise looked at her in bewilderment. The latter shook his head heatedly.

"This isn't about you, Annabelle. Just run along and –" Annabelle cut over him, though, her eyes filling with fire.

"I won't! You have no fucking right to call Harriet a slut! What the fuck has she done to you that gives you the right to do something so dick-headed?"

"Well, she was only dating me to get to my ex-girlfriend," Blaise explained as though it were the simplest thing on earth.

"That doesn't make her a slut! It makes her shallow –"

"Hey!" Harriet chimed in.

"– but not a slut! And you broke up with her because of this?" she screamed. He didn't answer, staring at her with surprise. "I'll take that as a yes, you prick. Now apologize to Harriet this instant before I whip your ass."

"I'm sorry," Blaise grumbled, looking shocked that he was even speaking. Annabelle turned towards the girl in question and calmed a bit.

"Harriet, you're a great girl, but I have no romantic feelings towards you. That kiss…it meant nothing to me. And I'm really sorry if it seems that I led you on." She smiled kindly. "I hope we can still be friends."

"Not the friends speech," Harriet groaned, to which Annabelle laughed.

"It's true. I'm sorry, but I'm really just…not in the mood for a relationship at the time being. I'll see you later," she sighed. She turned on her heel, marching down the corridor and promptly shoving Blaise out of her way.

She didn't care if she was thrown into the Black Lake starkers. At this point, she'd rather kiss the Giant Squid than Blaise fucking Zabini.

* * *

><p>"Quidditch match today!" Kenzie shrieked in delight, brushing her hair back into a tight bun. Her bright blue eyes were alight even more than usual with excitement at the prospect of riding her Nimbus 2000 for the first time in what felt like forever. The Slytherin's were a caddy bunch, and as such, they believed that practice was overrated. She didn't dislike the notion of no movement, but she had an inkling that they would fall flat on their faces to Gryffindor. And Rose.<p>

And she didn't want to lose to Rose.

"No shit, Sherlock," the blonde replied, but her own smile gave away her true emotions. Quick as a flash, she braided her long hair with force, and tied it at the end. She was glaring at her breakfast of an omelette and coffee.

"Don't be mean to your food," Eryn chastised, slapping her friend on the shoulder. Rose smiled for Eryn's sake.

She'd been in an exceptionally good mood the week after she found out that her best friend had shagged her crush of forever. Especially considering said circumstances. She simply made no contact with Harry or Sam.

And her friends followed her example on the Sam bit. They shut her out. Instead of clogging up the Hufflepuff table, she was sitting alone at Ravenclaw, picking at her buttered toast. Every once in a while, she would glance up to them to see if they were looking her way, but they never were.

Along with being quieter than ever, Sam didn't respond to any of the blokes who hit on her. Nor did they hear of any rumors where she was found by Snape shagging some third year in a broom closet. And though they would never admit it, they were worried. She'd said so herself: sex was an outlet for stress. But all her stress was just building and building until someone uncorked it and it spewed everywhere.

Deep down, they knew they'd be the ones to clean up the mess. They just didn't want to say anything out loud.

"You had better be coming to the match, Annabelle," Kenzie chastised. The girl nodded so her auburn curls tumbled over her shoulders a bit.

"Don't worry. Eryn promised to sit next to me instead of finding some seat up close and screaming for both teams. We always get such funny looks when we don't just pick one House."

"That's what happens when you have friends in different Houses, my love," Rose replied evenly before checking her watch. "Shit. Kenzie and I have to get down there. We'll see you at the Pitch!"

And she hurtled herself away, Kenzie following in her midst.

* * *

><p>"Mind if I sit here?"<p>

Eryn looked startled as she gazed up, seeing Sam looking a bit pitiful and staring down. Her big blue eyes were sad and depressing. Her waves looked limp, more so than anyone else's in the dim November sun. She hadn't even bothered to dress herself to perfection. Instead, she wore jeans and a loose tee. Eryn's stomach dropped a bit and clenched as it was forced back up.

"Sure," she managed to spit out, and moved over. Sam huddled next to her. In the freezing weather, Annabelle, Eryn, and Sam all sat in close quarters to keep from dying of hypothermia.

"Welcome to the first Quidditch match of the season!" the commentator cried, and all the students let out roars of appreciation. "This one will be against Slytherin and Gryffindor, to see who will begin the lead of it all! Now make some noise for the Slytherin team! Crabbe, Goyle, Malfoy, Vaisey, Warrington, Thorne, and Captain Montague!"

The Gryffindor's booed as they swooped out onto the field, landing gracefully on one side of it. Slytherin's began to practically worship them as though they were Merlin. Kenzie, being one of the Slytherin Chasers, was situated near Malfoy, much to her malcontent.

"And now, scream and holler for the Gryffindor team! Carson, Weasley, Weasley, Robins, Bell, Peakes, and Captain Potter!"

The calls for the Gryffindor team were significantly louder than that of the Slytherin. Rose landed so that she was basically opposite Ron. Neither made eye content, as Rose settled for making faces at Kenzie childishly. Having the maturity level of a two year old, Kenzie responded.

Madam Hooch marched out onto the field between the two. "Shake hands, captains!" Harry winced at the tight grip of Montague before mounting his broom again. "Ready, set, PLAY!"

Hooch threw the Quaffle into the air, as the Bludgers and Snitch were already whizzing about, and the game began. Kenzie quickly followed the Quaffle with intensity. Rose flew off to the side, watching out for any teammates that may need help defending themselves against a damn Bludger.

"BELL QUICKLY TAKES POSSESSION OF THE QUAFFLE! SHE'S OFF! LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT AGAIN, NARROWLY DODGING THE SWING OF SLYTHERIN BEATER GOYLE'S BAT! THAT SHOULD EARN THEM A PENALTY! BUT THE GAME PROGRESSES!"

Rose listened carefully to the commentary, simply watching the moving shapes with little interest. Quite honestly, she more so just wanted to hit something. She swung her bat aimlessly about, keeping it to herself so as not to earn her team a foul.

Kenzie, on the other hand, was flying at the speed of light. Her eyes stung as the cool air slipped into her corneas. But she had a goal: the Quaffle. In order to win the game, she needed to get that Quaffle away from Katie Bell and towards Ron Weasley's hoops.

"BELL IS NEARLY THERE! SHE CHUCKS THE QUAFFLE INTO THE HOOP, BUT VAISEY IS FASTER! HE SWATS IT AWAY LIKE A BUG FROM HIS FACE! AND POSSESSION GOES TO THORNE!"

Rose perked at her friend's last name. Kenzie had the Quaffle? Interesting… Without another thought, Rose tilted up and began to fly towards Ron. He looked anxious and tense, watching Kenzie and the Quaffle near his posts.

Much to Rose's delight, a Bludger neared the Keeper, and she had reason to hit something. Drawing her bat back, she smacked the Bludger away, and in the process, the Quaffle as well, as Kenzie decided at that moment to toss it in. The latter girl shot her friend a dirty look before zooming after the lost Quaffle. Rose smirked.

"Nice save," a deep, scratchy voice said in her ear, making her nearly jump off of her broom. She sent a glare at Ron when he laughed her reaction. "You should turn red more often, love. It suits you."

Wait…did he just compliment her?

She gave him an odd look, and missed a Bludger as it came racing through a hoop, nearly hitting her in the head. She did a double-take, but ultimately decided just to do her duty: protect the Chasers. She whizzed off, flipping Ron the bird as she did.

Kenzie stared around the arena in a fruitless effort to find an unused Quaffle. But they were all being hoarded by other Chasers of either team. Instead, her gaze came to rest on the Slytherin Seeker. His blonde hair was ruffled more than ever, and windswept from leaning in and pulling up so often on his fancy broom from Switzerland or something. He could almost be considered cute…

_No_! she shrieked internally. _No, Malfoy is not slightly cute! He's vile and a pain in the arse and everything you loathe! Not cute! Not_!

It was ironic how just how she thought this, he happened to land next to her. His smirk was wide and cruel, and she simply rolled her eyes in his direction and took off. He followed.

"Stalker!" she hollered, making him laugh.

"Don't flatter yourself, Thorne!" he called back over the whistling wind. "I'm looking for the Snitch, and you know it!"

"Then why are you following me!"

"Because I saw Potter go this way."

Made sense. Damn him being so smart.

"Well, find another route! I'm getting a Quaffle so we can win! We are, after all, twenty points up!" she tried to say clearly. It was too much of a mouthful, though, and the ice cold November wind made her lips numb.

"You're turning blue," he commented conversationally. She eyed him in the most peculiar way. "Just looking out for your wellbeing, Thorne."

She snorted, which hurt, as her throat was as dry as sandpaper and her face was bright red and tender. "When have you ever given a damn about my wellbeing?" she contradicted.

"Since you called me Draco a few weeks ago."

This made her turn her head, and as such, she couldn't see in front of her. The only thing in her view was his face, tinged with pink and looking actually innocent. Not smug or cocky, as was usual. Just…innocent.

But Kenzie was a klutz. And she managed to fly straight into a pole.

The Gryffindor side erupted in laughter, as well as part of the Slytherin's. Draco's face paled, even for him. Rose stopped flying, and unintentionally hit a Bludger so hard that it crunched into a tower. All eyes were on the girl as she began to drop, most ungracefully, to the ground.

Draco was the one to catch her, surprising everyone.

* * *

><p><strong>FINALLY some KenzieDraco action ;) Maybe some more next chappie too? And some Neville/Sam, Harry/Eryn, Rose/Ron, and Blaise/Annabelle? ;)**

**PS: any bad spelling in the last bit is due to my inability to feel my fingers. I'm sitting in an ice rink, watching my sister skate around and around. And there's no coffee left :(**

**REVIEW! :D**


	14. Broken

**I'm sooo sorry it took so long to update! I've been caught up with homework and just lazy and yadayadayada... Soo yeah :)**

**Also, I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this year, and I actually have an idea, so my updating may be even LESS constant! But I made this chapter just a wee bit longer for your enjoyment :) Hope you like it!**

* * *

><p>Draco didn't leave her bedside. From the moment he raced her out of the Quidditch pitch to the hospital wing, and throughout the rest of the day, he didn't move an inch from his spot on her right. Madam Pomfrey once attempted to get him to go to dinner and eat something, but a sharp glare cut her off, and she tutted and hurried away to her office instead. He smirked after her and against turned his attention to Kenzie.<p>

She looked rather radiant. He was no longer ashamed to admit it. With her brown-blonde hair fanned out across the starched white pillow and her fair eyelids covering bright blue eyes, she looked angelic. But as his gaze went lower, his contented smile turned a bit sour.

Her cheeks, throat, the front of her torso and thighs, as well as arms were all painted black and blue with bruises.

"What's wrong with her?" he had angrily demanded once he'd laid her upon the small bed. The elderly matron rushed around with the speed of a five year old, checking everything she could. She didn't speak for almost a full minute, which drove Draco to a point where he cried out, "ANSWER ME, WOMAN!"

Madam Pomfrey had given him a reproving look, but responded as she removed Kenzie's Quidditch protection. "She has severe bruising all across the front of her body." She tenderly pushed two fingers along her chest, and reached underneath her limp form, doing the same to her back. A considering look crossed her face. "She also seems to have fractured her ribcage and spinal cord. Nothing too serious."

Draco's jaw had dropped to the ground, but Madam Pomfrey merely pushed it back in place and began to remedy what she could at the present time. Draco fell into the chair nearest her and simply stared at her as the starkest blotches of irregular color seemed to die down a bit. That was the only thing that kept him from throwing something at the woman who seemed to be prodding Kenzie in uncomfortable ways.

Much to his chagrin, he was bustled out of the hospital wing an hour after visiting hours ended. If he'd had it his way, he would've remained there all night, keeping his gray gaze on her forever. But it wasn't. Madam Pomfrey practically tossed him into the corridor and slammed the doors shut. He flipped the wooden entry the bird before stalking off, in desperate need of sleep, though he'd never admit it.

* * *

><p>For being awake far too many hours, Draco overslept, meaning that he wasn't the first one to the doors the next day. But Rose, Annabelle, and Sam were another story. Madam Pomfrey was rudely woken by raucous knocking, courtesy of the three girls, all of whom were also screaming for her to open the bloody door.<p>

As soon as it swung in the opposite direction, they all hurled themselves forward, ignoring the old matron's chastisements. Their quick footsteps brought them directly to the only bed in use. And they were all quite surprised to find that she was awake.

"Morning," Kenzie smiled weakly. All their hearts broke at the effort it took for her to be happy. But they braved smiles easily.

"How are you feeling?" Annabelle asked quietly. Kenzie shrugged, though winced at the pain the bruises set through her body. Like her muscles were gasoline and the nerves bouncing through were fire, hoping to burn her within. She hid the discomfort well, however.

"Alright. It wasn't too bad."

Rose glanced at the sheet pinned up by her bed, continuously changing her medical status. She shot her friend an unimpressed look. "You have a broken ribcage, spine, and bruises all over, and you say that it wasn't too bad?"

"Yep!" Sam sighed heavily, at the end of Kenzie's bed, hoping to blend in. As far as she knew, all her friends except Eryn were still angry at her for sleeping with Harry.

Speaking of Eryn…

"Sorry I'm late!" Eryn's loud, happy voice rang through the wing as she zipped in. Everyone's jaws dropped as she bobbed up and down next to Kenzie, looking thoroughly worried. "Oh my God, are you okay? Are you hurt too badly?" She noticed the staring. "What the hell are you looking at?"

"Um…Eryn? Kenzie murmured. She looked at her. "Your hair is kind of…pink."

And it was true. Eryn's once light blonde curls were suddenly a vibrant, flamingo pink. The ringlets and frizziness were the same, just much more…pink. It was a shock to say the least. Eryn shrugged.

"Yes, and…?" Annabelle didn't let her gaze flicker.

"Any reason why?" she asked slowly. Eryn repeated her earlier actions, although they lied. There were a thousand reasons why: mainly, the numerous changes outside her life being shoved into an internal change on her exterior, if that made any sense.

"None. I got bored last night, and dyed my hair pink." No one believed her, but they didn't push the topic. But of course, it was at that point that Kenzie noticed Sam. She glared a bit.

"Aren't we angry with you?" she snapped. Sam looked down at the ivory sheets, not daring to look her friend in the eye. If she did, she may break down. But, luckily, Eryn spoke for her. She wrapped a thin arm around the brunette's shoulder.

"I decided that it isn't Sam's fault. She slept with Harry, sure, but that's Sam! It's her way of dealing with shit! Why get mad at her for something that's in her makeup?" Everyone nodded in agreement to this. "Though I'm still pissed at Harry. Make no mistake about that."

Silence fell over the group of friends. But it was comfortable. And they all had certain somebodies on their minds. Of course, they would never admit it. Not even to each other. They might've been close, but they still had some boundaries.

"So…who won?" Kenzie suddenly asked, realizing why she was in the hospital. It was because of a Quidditch accident! She'd flown straight into a pole! An uneasy look passed through everyone, making her worried. "Who won?" she prompted more forcefully.

"Gryffindor," Annabelle murmured. Kenzie sighed heavily and let her eyes flutter shut for a moment. Of course. Bloody Gryffindor. Not that she was particularly mad at them for the win (after all, Rose and Annabelle were both part of it, and Rose probably contributed to the success.) It was simply the fact that her blunder most likely caused a sudden loss of a Chaser and a very hectic time.

Oh, and Draco also had to be replaced. From what she saw through half-shut eyelids yesterday, he hadn't returned to the Quidditch pitch. He hadn't laughed at her, kicked dirt in her face, anything showing disrespect. Hell, he brought her to the hospital wing! And all the kind acts were beginning to scare her…

…And delight her.

"Oh, my dears, I'm afraid that Miss. Thorne needs her rest!" Madam Pomfrey suddenly said, still in her dressing gown. All the girls nodded hurriedly and walked out of the wing, waving goodbye at their friend. Kenzie was left to drink two potions – one to mend her wounds, and the other to help her sleep – and head back to that dizzying darkness she'd learned to enjoy.

* * *

><p>"What're you doing?"<p>

Rose jumped out of her skin at the voice immediately behind her. _Second time in two days_, she noted bitterly. Turning around, she was faced with – who else but – Ron Weasley. His blue eyes looked a bit amused at her reaction, to which she rolled her own brown irises heavenwards and looked back down at her novel.

"No answer?" he continued. She counted to ten in her head.

"I'm reading, Ronald," she snapped. He smirked a bit.

"Ronald. You sounded like Hermione for a minute. You know, except for the fact that you aren't. You're blonde, and she's not. You wear glasses, and she doesn't. You hate me, and she doesn't. Well…" He smiled gently at this. "…not usually, anyways."

"Is there a point to your ramble?" she asked tiredly. In all honesty, she wasn't too interested in hearing Ron's drivel about God knows what. Even her novel wasn't fascinating her like it should've. Instead, Kenzie was on her mind. She was all bruised up in the hospital wing, knocked out so the medication she was taking wouldn't harm her, and so she wouldn't move about. It broke her heart…

Ron shrugged. "Not particularly. Just saw you sitting here, and thought to talk to you." She looked up just in time to catch his ears turn bright red. She felt something within her stir with pleasure at the sight which she caused.

"Well, thank you, b–"

"WON-WON!"

The piercing squeal of someone quite familiar rang through the air. Both Ron and Rose turned to see a mass of blonde ringlets bouncing towards then. In one swift movement, Ron was attacked by a pair of fair-skinned arms wrapping around his neck, and two glossed lips attacking his.

Rose quickly spun back so she was staring at her book once more. She had no interest in watching Ron and this ditz snog. Though the sounds weren't blocked out. In a moment, though, it stopped, and she heard the clearing of a throat. Rose composed her face to indifference and looked at the girl.

It was bloody Lavender Brown.

"Do you mind?" she asked, her voice dripping with sweetness that was so obviously artificial. Rose rolled her eyes and leaned back a bit into the wall.

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. I was here first, thank you very much," she snapped back. Lavender gawked at Rose before spluttering and shining big, doe-like eyes at Ron. He coughed uncomfortably.

"Um, we can go somewhere else," he muttered. Lavender glared at Ron, then aimed it at Rose, with much more hatred. Rose flipped her the bird, to which the latter girl shrieked and rushed off to the end of the corridor, waiting there until Ron finished talking to her.

"Sorry about her," Ron murmured. She stared at him.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Rose asked. He shoved his hands into his pockets, hoping to murder the awkwardness without speaking. When it didn't work, he replied.

"Last night, after the Gryffindor win, um…she sort of thought I did really well," he mumbled. "You were there, you remember, right?" She quirked an eyebrow, crossing her arms.

"No, I wasn't. I don't like parties. I went to the library until late."

"Oh." Ron ran a hand through his hair nervously. "Well…this led to that, and one thing led to another, and it ended up with her and me getting together."

Rose nodded slowly, trying to let the information sink in. Yet it wasn't able to. It wasn't penetrating her mind. It just…wasn't working. Instead of letting it continue seeping into her brain, she snapped her book shut, rose from her place, and stalked off in the opposite direction of the fuming Lavender and dumbstruck Ron.

Eryn's silent treatment was actually succeeding. With every attempt Harry made to start a conversation with her, she would simply distance herself from him more and more, until it had been an entire week without her even making eye contact with him. It neared the end of November, and Harry couldn't focus in class, or on homework, or even on simple conversations without twitching to look at Eryn.

"It's working!" Sam gawked. Eryn didn't let on any satisfaction at Harry's constant discomfort. If anything, she couldn't care less. Or so she led everyone to believe. Inside, her heart was wrenching itself apart. She wanted desperately to stare into his emerald green eyes for eternity, stroke his raven locks, to simply say _Hey_ to each other.

Then she would look at Sam, and remember everything would come rushing back. She remembered why she was putting them both through such torture, and she was positive that she wouldn't back off from this approach. It was working far better than she expected, and that was a pleasure in itself.

Until the night that her wall came crumbling down.

* * *

><p>"ERYN!" Harriet Jones cried loudly as the group of friends were studying in the Hufflepuff common room. Annabelle hid her face hurriedly, and thankfully wasn't noticed. Eryn turned at her name, smiling gently at the girl.<p>

"Yeah?"

"Someone's camping out in front!" Eryn looked at her strangely. "They say that they won't leave until they get to see you."

"How romantic," Sam giggled, elbowing her pink-haired friend. Rose and Annabelle agreed with the grin. Eryn rolled her eyes.

"Who is it?" she asked. All the other girls leaned in to listen to the culprit of interrupting their studying (though they agreed that this drama was much more interesting than any Divination homework).

"Um…Harry Potter."

* * *

><p><strong>Well? Did I mention that I stole that idea of camping out in front of the common room from when Snape did it with Lily, after calling her a Mudblood? ;) I love it<strong>

**Thoughts? I liked it, actually, so hopefully you did too!**

**REVIEW! :D**


	15. Vinegar

**I'm back with another chapter (after a bloody month! Because I am a bad author!) As it turns out, I'm not made for novel writing ;) But I am okay at fanfiction writing! Sooo on with the story!**

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><p>"Who is it?" she asked. All the other girls leaned in to listen to the culprit of interrupting their studying (though they agreed that this drama was much more interesting than any Divination homework).<p>

"Um…Harry Potter."

"Oh my God!" Annabelle cried, quickly standing and racing towards the door. Rose and Sam, however, clasped their fingers around her wrists before she had a chance to let him in. "But why?" she whined.

"This isn't our battle to fight," Sam explained in a low tone, mainly for the sake of the other Hufflepuffs, all of whom looked rather confused by their outburst. They might've been used to the friends and their insanity, but they still drew lines for some silence. This was one of the moments that they were quite alright with it, but the girls in question felt that quiet was needed.

"But this is so sweet!" Annabelle squealed, resulting in Rose's hand being slapped over her mouth. She would've been tempted to bite the palm away, or perhaps stick her tongue out and see the outcome, but it was Rose. The latter girl would pummel the former if she so much as flinched wrong. Especially lately, though she wasn't sharing reasons for her foul mood.

"Yes, it is," Rose murmured. "But it's also extremely stressful for a certain Hufflepuff." Annabelle quirked an eyebrow dumbly, to which both Sam and Rose nodded their heads towards Eryn.

"Merlin…" Eryn's heart was racing. Her hands were sweating. She could feel her lungs contracting almost painfully, as though they refused to take in air anymore. The entire world was moving much slower than usual, like a Muggle film in slowmo. Her friends gradually turned towards her, looking at her worriedly. And she couldn't find a reply.

"Eryn…what do you want to do about this?" Sam's words came out as barely a whisper, yet they crashed into Eryn at such a speed that she was surprised she was still standing. That little breath of a question had practically knocked her over as her insides collapsed.

"Why is he here?" she asked, quietly at first. When no one answered, she repeated herself, a bit louder this time. They all shifted.

"Because he cares about you," Annabelle said, with a flicker of a smile on her lips. Eryn nodded, her pink curls bouncing.

"Alright. Stay back. I'm going to see him."

And she bustled through the small crowd to the ladder. Those who watched were all in awe, and her friends all stood at the bottom, awaiting their friend's return.

The moment Eryn stepped out into the corridor by the kitchen's entry, she could strongly smell vinegar. It wasn't unusual, but an anxious Harry Potter, sitting with his back against the wall, dripping wet, was. In her mind, Eryn put together the necessary bits to understand that Harry had obviously attempted to enter but to no avail. And as such, 'trespassers' were doused in vinegar.

"What do you want?" Eryn's words came out louder, harsher than she meant them to. But it did the trick. Harry jumped violently and turned to see the person who owned the voice, but the relief was evident on his face when he noticed the disarmingly bright hair and beautiful blue eyes.

"Eryn!" he screamed, then blushed a tad. "Sorry. That was a bit loud."

"What. Do. You. Want." She said the words quietly now, spaced out for affect. So Harry knew that the Eryn who'd been in love with him all their lives was gone at the moment. A new Eryn was here. The one who was royally pissed.

She noticed his staring at her hair, and quickly snapped his fingers. "Yes, my hair is pink. Now go on!"

He sighed and stood up. To her chagrin, she was still a few inches shorter than he was, making her terrifying demeanour lessen. If only he wasn't so damn tall!

"I wanted to apologize for –"

"Sleeping with my best friend?" she snapped. He smiled weakly.

"Yeah." A cough. "Um…it was a mistake and stupid and I'm sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry."

He was being genuine. He was honestly, truly sorry. And though her heart was breaking inside to forgive him, a little nagging voice in the back of her head continuously brought up the topic at hand. It wouldn't let her be happy.

"Might I ask you a question then?" she snapped, just as sharply as the voice in her head had hoped. He nodded eagerly. "Just why did you do it. Why did you sleep with Sam?"

He gulped as though he had hoped this question wouldn't come up. That proved what a dolt he was. Of course she would ask! That event was what led to the whole catastrophe. It was what led to both of them being heartbroken, though they didn't know about the opposite's feelings.

"Well…I saw something I shouldn't've."

"Like what."

"It wasn't intended for me to see, and I know that. And I also know that you might never forgive me –"

"Harry."

The sternness in her voice made him sigh and blush heavily, turning away slightly. "I saw you and Sam and Kenzie having a…sort of pillow fight."

"We have a bunch of those. You'll have to be more specific," she replied bitterly, narrowing her eyes. He laughed slightly, but shut up when she sent a pointed glare at him.

"It was…late October? Before the Quidditch game, and our date –"

"Which you never showed up to!"

"Because I was terrified to confront you about what happened!" Both were raising their voices, however inadvertent as it was. Harry had now turned towards her again, coming closer for emphasis. Eryn was too filled with rage and frustration to take notice of the heady vinegar scent and the way the sour droplets ran down his face.

"I'm not some Hippogriff! I won't bite!"

He snorted. "You say this after blowing up at me."

"I have reason to!" she cried back. "I wouldn't have been pissed or even remotely angry! I would've been concerned that you had seen far too much for your liking!" She smirked bitterly. "Not that it matters with Sam. You've already shagged her."

"I will have you know that the entire time I was with Sam, all I could think about was you."

That made her shut up.

Harry was too caught up in his anger that had built up to such a level to notice the way it sounded, and the fact that he had basically just insinuated that he liked her. Possibly more.

"Um…well, I…" She couldn't form a proper sentence to save her life. The words he'd just uttered were still seeping into her mind. He smirked bitterly.

"Well, I seem to have said something to surprise you," he said quietly, slowly walking closer to her. "Now. Please let me finish expla–"

He was cut off by her lips.

* * *

><p>"What do you suppose is going on up there?" Sam asked quietly, looking up the empty bottom of a barrel that led to the hallway above. The others shrugged.<p>

"Either something really good or really bad. Or both," Rose replied in the same tone. "Or she killed him."

Annabelle rolled her eyes at this suggestion. "Yes, because our Eryn would definitely kill her crush. No matter how pissed she is at him, death is not the solution!"

"Death is always the solution," Rose retorted. "It solves all my problems."

"You're a piece of work," Annabelle grumbled, turning away from the entryway to the Hufflepuff common room and back towards their table. Except something else caught her eye. And it wasn't the half-finished star charts lying across the beech wood hardtop.

But rather a very tall, very handsome dark skinned boy sliding down the stairs of the girl dormitories.

Dressed only in a wife beater and boxers.

"Put some clothes on!" Rose cried, tossing a quill at him. He caught it easily and tossed it away, yawning in the process. And all Annabelle could do was gawk at his beauty.

She mentally slapped herself, of course. _What the bloody hell is wrong with you? He's an absolute arse! A gorgeous arse… Wait that came out wrong. He's a horrible, despicable, evil, malicious, beautiful– NO!_

"Alright there?"

His rich voice, so deep and even, broke through the haze of thought circling her head. Suddenly, all she could see was his face. His dark chocolate eyes looked at her light blue ones with concern and worry. But she wouldn't have such a thing. She wouldn't dare let him pity her. Pity Kenzie, all bundled up in the Hospital Wing, but not her.

"Fine, thanks," she replied hurriedly, averting her eyes from his broad chest. He nodded slowly.

"Good, then, I sup–"

"Blaise!"

Harriet Jones' high pitch squeal made Annabelle wince painfully, and before she knew it, the springy brunette flung her arms around his neck, and planted her paler lips upon his darker ones.

What the bloody fuck?

When they broke apart, all Annabelle could do was stare at them, her lips moving up and down like a fish out of water. Her bafflement slowly turned into denial, as though this were all a put-on. But what use was there to put her on? It then bubbled into pure anger.

"What the hell!" she screamed, not caring who heard. Blaise looked simply confused, his head tilted slightly as a sign of such. But Harriet was still a bubbling fountain of happiness. It made her just as sick as Rose was of such people on a regular basis.

"What's up?" Harriet asked, so sweet and innocent it made the bile within Annabelle reach her mouth. It tasted positively vile.

"I thought you were gay!"

Harriet rolled her eyes, giggling. "I'm bi, silly! I thought you would've figured that out!"

Annabelle shrieked under her breath, surprised that Sam and Rose hadn't come and dragged her away already. But they stood back, interested in the scene and shocked at Harriet. How could she be such a bitch!

"Why?" Harriet pressed. "Is that an issue?"

The way she said it, the tone of her voice, the incriminatingly sugary grin, all dared Annabelle to contradict her. To call her a fraud, an attention seeker. But Annabelle was smarter than that. She wouldn't stoop to her enemy's level.

"Not at all," she managed to say through clenched teeth. "Just getting my facts straight. Now, if you'll excuse me."

And she hurried up the ladder, through the top of the barrel, and through the corridors (the thick smell of vinegar was left behind her). The tears fell, but she couldn't find a reason for them to. She didn't understand why she was crying. She had no reason to.

Except…deep down, she knew she did.

"Annabelle!"

* * *

><p><strong>Their lives are just so dramatic! A bit more Annabelle Blaise cause I was told to write more of them :) Aaaaand ya ! Enjoyable? Yes? No? Maybe so?<strong>

**REVIEW! :D**


	16. Condoms

**Hehehehe... Hey there :3 I'm back with another chapter!**

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><p>A dream. That's all this could be. A silly, stupid dream, brought on by an extra helping of tapioca pudding last night. Because there was no way in hell that this could be real.<p>

Some sort of thin plastic balloons shaped like bananas were poking and prodding Neville.

Of course, when Harry, Ron, Seamus, and Dean felt them pressing against their own faces, they quickly awoke and jumped out of bed, only to gawk in wonder at their final dorm mate who was still fast asleep. Since he was always out later than them, they had never had a chance to notice what a deep sleeper he was. But it surely was evident now.

None of them could find their voices to call out his name, to wake him. Their arms and legs suddenly refused to move to shake him. All they could do was stare in complete bewilderment for a very long moment until Seamus lost his wits and practically tumbled down the stairs in his hurry. The others followed.

Sitting on the couch in the Gryffindor common room were Annabelle and Rose, both of whom quickly jolted awake at the sounds of the terrified boys. Harry rolled into a ball completely on his way down and now hit against the side of an unused armchair. The others were simply backing away from the steps up to their dorm, as though Lord Voldemort himself were up there.

"What is it?" Rose asked curiously, looking up the abandoned flight of stairs. Dean was nearest her, head against the back of the couch, and answered with as few words as possible: "Some sort of Muggle contraption is attacking Neville."

"And that scared you off?" Annabelle nearly laughed. All the boys sent her pointed glares for her amusement, to which she struggled to bite back her smile. Ron sighed.

"We don't know what they are," he grumbled, looking at the girls. "They were thin and…plastic, I suppose. And kind of long and shaped sort of like a cylinder. And they were covered in this."

At the last word, he got closer to the couch, tilting his face to the right to show Rose his cheek. Smeared across it was what appeared to be oil.

Or lube.

Rose let out a bark of laughter and patted his cheek gently, grinning. "I have a feeling I know who did this, love."

And ignoring the bright red blush spreading across his face, she stood up, walked briskly to the portrait hole, stuck her head out, and screamed at the top of her lungs, "SAAAAAAAM!"

* * *

><p>"You enchanted Muggle condoms to dance out of the Ravenclaw common room, through the castle, and up into the Gryffindor boy's dormitories?"<p>

Eryn was in complete and total shock, yet looked pleasantly amused. Annabelle was laughing hysterically. And Rose was simply watching the girl in question's face for some sort of hint of her reasoning behind the prank.

"Yep!" Sam smiled brightly. Rose groaned and stood up again, grabbing her friend's hand in the process. "Where're we going?"

"To see the mess you've made," the blonde replied, and Sam was swiftly dragged up the stairs. Not that she minded. Or it was her first time.

"Bloody hell, woman!" Ron cried out at the door being thrust open. Rose rolled her eyes at his exclamation and walked straight past the changing boys, all of whom looked surprised at their presence and a bit flustered. Except Neville, who was still snoring beneath his sheets.

"How is he still asleep?" Rose nearly screamed in frustration, especially since the slowly deflating condoms were still rubbing his face with lube. The guys smirked at Ron at her outburst. Rose spun around at Sam. "You are going to wake him up and explain to him why there's a trail of deflated condoms in here. _Now_."

And with a sharp look around the room, she evacuated the boys and herself, slamming the door shut behind her.

Sam sighed gently, looking at Neville now. Unlike when he was awake, his fair face was expressionless, serene. She would bet anything that he was in the middle of a blissful, dreamless sleep.

Too bad she would have to ruin that.

Without a second thought, she grabbed at the condoms, chucked them to the floor, and straddled his lower abdomen. Her hands ran up and down his chest – which was rather nicely built, considering she'd never seen him do any sort of physical activity – with a smirk plastered on her face. Her blue eyes looked over his face, which was still the in the same tranquil state, and decided she needed to step things up if he was to wake up.

He awoke to the feel of someone's heated lips pressed against his own. A pair of exceptionally soft hands was trailing beneath his shirt, across his skin, and he couldn't help but react to it in a way he wasn't too proud of. He kissed back immediately and let his fingers loop around this person's slim waist.

From the inside, the person began to unbutton his shirt, which was actually remarkable considering they didn't do up that way. He couldn't hold back an impressed smile when she managed to do all of them and then brush it away to leave her more space to press herself against.

Except she had to go and fuck it up.

"Neville…" was the only word she could utter (she still couldn't believe how great a kisser he was) and he recognized her voice. All of a sudden, all the breath within him was seized and he froze solid, completely immune to her kisses now. She continued for half a second before realizing something was wrong and pulling away to look at him. His eyes slowly moved to hers.

That amazing shade of gray blue that could only be found on Sam Calloway.

He quickly gripped her shoulders, pushing her away from him at least two feet. She sighed under her breath and sat upright, crossing her arms loosely across her chest. Her eyes avoided his at all costs, instead letting them roam across his exposed chest. At this, his face turned red and he shoved the thin white button-up back over the flesh.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he screamed, face flushed red and arms tightly holding his shirt close to him. She shrugged, her face innocent, her eyes now examining her nails.

"Sitting," she replied smoothly. His confused and dazed expression now turned to one of annoyance.

"I can see that. Mind getting off?" She let out a heavy breath but did as she was asked, clambering to another bed and sitting down upon the unmade sheets. Neville sat up, hurriedly buttoning his shirt back up and taking in the scene before him.

The single beds were messy and empty. The cool hardwood floor was covered in strange shiny crumpled-up plastic. And Samantha Calloway – renowned throughout as the school slut – was sitting in her thin nightgown, looking at him sweetly. He groaned and dropped his head into his knees.

Sam smiled weakly at his reaction. "I was told to come up here and apologize for this." She motioned aimlessly at the floor when she said _this_.

"What are those things?" he asked, his voice distorted a bit from the strange angle he spoke at.

"Condoms." He looked up at her curiously. "These Muggle things used in sex. See, to make sure a woman doesn't get pregnant, a bloke unrolls this over his d–"

"I get the picture!" he called out. She laughed breathily.

"Yes, well. You asked. So…yeah, I'm sorry for attacking you with condoms. And I'll just…be going…"

She wordlessly slipped out of the boy's dorms, and wasn't the least bit surprised that he turned to watch her ass through the thin material draped over it.

* * *

><p>"So, how was it?"<p>

Eryn quirked her eyebrow curiously at Kenzie. "How was what?" she asked. The latter girl rolled her eyes.

"The kiss with Harry!"

And of course, Eryn flushed at the words.

They were visiting Kenzie the day before she was allowed to leave the Hospital Wing, just to make sure she was still sane after the mending of her bones. It had been a few weeks, and each day a girl would bring her homework to her. She kept up her grades by pure skill.

"No one has told me a Goddamn thing because they wanted to make it monumental with you telling me!" Eryn shot a hateful glare at the others, all of whom just grinned. "So go on! Tell me about it!"

And so she did.

_It felt so right. More right than anything she'd ever experienced. Like Christmas morning and Easter candy and her birthday and Halloween night and all wrapped in one. Like sugar and cinnamon and cookies. He tasted just like she had always imagined he would: faintly of cherry lip balm, mixed in with milk chocolate. Delicious was an understatement of her opinion of him._

_ And he couldn't help but return the favour of her. She felt warm, soft, beneath his lips. And his fingers too, as he found themselves having a mind of their own and reaching to the back of her neck. She reacted quickly, her own slender extremities winding into his short raven locks._

_ He couldn't supress a slight groan and immediately pulled her tighter to him, the hand not on her neck hooking round her waist. Her face immediately turned red and her insides squirmed at the feel of him so close. She'd only dreamt of such close contact with Harry before. Yet here she was, kissing him like she'd only ever hoped to._

_ After what felt like a millennium, they pulled apart. Harry gently pressed his forehead to hers, looking at her face for some reaction. Her eyelids were heavy, hooding her irises, and she was having trouble regulating her breath. But a few moments later, she nervously lifted her gaze from the floor and met his emerald eyes. A weak, nervous smile slipped upon her lips, and he returned it in the same way._

_ "Hi," he breathed. She let out a tiny laugh at his silence._

_ "Hi yourself," she replied._

_ Life had never felt more right._

"And then you kissed more right?" Kenzie's eager voice cut through the fog of happiness that clouded Eryn's mind, and she shook her head to get rid of the rest.

"No. Then he said that he did not regret the kiss and that he would be sure to do it again." Her cheeks turned even more pinkish. "And then he left."

Almost all the girls awed at her story, not helping her blushing state as she stuffed her face into a pillow. Annabelle chuckled at her reaction, patting her back gently.

"There, there," she soothed, the laughter in her voice evident. Rose smirked.

"Oh no, you aren't getting off that easy either." Annabelle tilted her head with confusion. "What happened when you ran out of the Hufflepuff common room?"

The groan that elicited from Annabelle's lips easily rivalled Eryn's.

_ It was incredibly difficult not to let a tear or two slip down her face as she raced down the corridors, trying to get as far as she could from the Hufflepuff common room. She could hear footsteps behind her that were catching up with her, but she quickened her step as best she could. Nothing mattered right now except running away._

_ "Annabelle!"_

_ The voice was clearly feminine, which only heightened the girl's frustration, and she choked back a sob when a delicate, dainty hand lay upon her shoulder to stop her. Slowly but surely, she turned to look this girl in the face._

_ "Fuck. You." Those were the first words that came out of Annabelle's mouth when she saw Harriet's petite face. The latter one looked at her curiously, yet the former could see past her façade of innocence. She knew what it did to her._

_ "What did I do?" Harriet asked, as though she hadn't the faintest idea of how much seeing her and Blaise had killed Annabelle. "I mean, after all, you do hate him. Why should it matter?"_

_ "When did I ever say I hated him?" Annabelle seethed. "I said he had no right to call you a slut. But at this point I beg to differ with myself." She sent a scathing look at her nemesis, who widened her eyes with mock surprise._

_ "You called him a prick."_

_ "Doesn't mean I hate him."_

_ Harriet went to say something else, but after a moment simply stared at her, comprehension washing over her like the tide on the shore. Then the dazed and confused look was replaced with one of smug arrogance. A smirk was plastered on her rose-petal lips as she looked at Annabelle._

_ "You fancy him, don't you?" she chuckled darkly._

_ At this, Annabelle flushed red. "Of course I don't. Are you daft? I've no reason to fancy him!" Harriet's accomplished grin only grew._

_ "You do. I knew it. And that's why it's bothering you so much! Because you found him the day after we shag-"_

_ "Too much information!" Annabelle cried, and then spun on her heel and ran off. This time, Harriet didn't see any need to follow. She simply watched the girl who still piqued her interest stalk off. _Being bi has its advantages_, she thought, and then went back to the common room._

"You're shitting me," Kenzie gawked. Annabelle shook her head, curls bouncing a bit.

"I'm not. She had the nerve to come talk to me after what she did."

All the girls let their heads loll back and forth, sighing. After a long moment, Sam patted Annabelle's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." And then she changed the subject. "So, Kenzie, when're you getting out of this joint?"

Kenzie positively beamed at that question, swivelling herself back and forth. "Tonight! I can finally get the hell up and walk!"

Everyone smiled at her, hiding their thoughts, which knew wouldn't hang well about her happiness: Draco. The two Slytherins needed to have a chat.

"Well, good," Rose nodded, smiling. "You can have a little chat with a certain platinum blonde prince then."

They would've smacked her for her lack of subtlety had they not been afraid of her pummelling them.

Kenzie sighed. "Fine. If you corner a certain ginger spawn and have a chat."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"Good."

"Good."

"GOOD."

* * *

><p><strong>I added that little quarrel at the end cause I'm being forced to finish this by the lovely Kenzie<strong>


	17. Chlamydia

***hides as fans toss fruit at her* I'm sorry it's been so long *dodge* but I've been caught up with school *dodge* and other shit *dodge* and laziness! *slides across the floor away from the fruit* Enjoy!**

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><p>"Thorne!"<p>

Kenzie groaned a bit at the sound of her name, not turning her head to see who was calling. Instead, she continued limping forward, trying to see if her friends were nearby. They'd said they'd come get her when she was released from the Hospital Wing, yet when she'd emerged through the heavy doors, no one was there.

"OI! Thorne!"

A hand grabbed her shoulder, spinning her round on her heel. However, as this was Kenzie, she quickly slipped and began to topple to the cold stone ground. The slim arm that slinked its way round her waist and held her up made her gasp.

She tipped her head upwards and was met with alarmingly gray eyes.

"Alright there, Thorne?" Draco Malfoy asked, a small smirk on his lips. She tried to form a word but to no avail. Though she'd never admit it out loud, she felt herself being hypnotized by those irises.

Finally, after shaping her mouth a few times to get the sentence out, she managed to mutter a weak, "Don't touch me, Malfoy."

Was it her imagination, or did that ever-growing smirk slip for just a second? Nonetheless, he straightened her up and slid his arm back to his side. She nodded a bit in thanks, eyes glued to the floor.

Many awkward seconds ticked by before either of them spoke.

"Um, did you want something?" she managed to say. Her constricted throat was beginning to expand again, no longer feeling like sandpaper. He looked at her intently.

"I did. I wanted to…apologize." The pause before the last word was filled with short attempts to get the word out. Like he'd never said he was sorry for anything. Then again, he was one of the biggest prats at school. When he made mistakes, he was rarely held accountable for  
>them.<p>

But this time, no one was forcing him to say it. He chose to. He had spent hours deliberating, contemplating, and finally deciding that it would be for the best if he did. So there they stood.

"For what?" she said, her eyes actually widened in surprise. He looked back, and she couldn't help but blush. His gaze was innocent and almost tender. It took her completely off guard.

"For distracting you into flying into that pole at the Quidditch game," he replied simply with a shrug. She nodded, still shocked. The tenderness in his look wore off slightly as a smirk slipped upon his face. "Don't seem so surprised that these lips can do more than just  
>snog."<p>

She let out a derisive snort as his usual cockiness was reinstated. "You've only snogged Parkinson, who's so desperate she could've snogged a pig and said the same thing. Oh wait, she did."

She could see the spark of his temper alight in his narrowing eyes, and felt relief wash over her. This was the Draco she was used to. This was the Draco she could handle. But was it the one she truly wanted?

"You wouldn't know a good snog if it punched you in the nose."

"I'd be glad to punch you in the nose."

"More like get one of your lackeys to do it."

Now she felt her own seething rage bubble up. "Don't refer to my friends as lackeys."

"Why?" he snapped back, quick to fan the flames of her anger. "Denying that they follow you around like moths to a flame? You can't say it isn't tr-"

"Yes I can! Because it isn't! You're the one with followers as opposed to people who could care, Draco!" she nearly cried out.

He paused and looked at her. "What did you call me?"

"Malfoy, of course, that's your na-"

"No, you didn't. You said Draco." She looked at him, mouth opening and closing a bit to try to get out a reply. Finally she just shook her head.

"Look, I don't have to listen to you insult my friends and –"

"Say it again."

She groaned and stomped with a wince. "Stop cutting over me!"

"Say. It. Again," he pushed. His stare was boring into her face, tempting her to do as he said, or to deny and walk off. She was terrified to comply. Even more so to ignore.

"Draco," she murmured.

It wasn't a sexual sound. It wasn't even remotely meant to be alluring. But she saw the subtlest of shivers run through his body and in an instant, he was close to her.

"Again." She felt his fingertips on her forehead, tracing with a feather-light touch down the side of her face, along her jaw.

"Draco."

His thumb ran along the dip of her chin and up to her lower lip, barely brushing it and making her blush.

"Again."

"Draco. Draco, Draco, Draco."

This was the closest either had ever been. To anyone. It made them weak in the knees, made their stomachs knot up. But neither could find the strength to move away. Neither really wanted to.

"Kenzie…" he breathed, lips barely an inch from hers. Her eyelids had fallen, covering her sight of him, but he still had his eyes on her. Watching her reactions, her face curve slightly against his palm, the way her cheeks became tinted with rose when he said her name.

It would've been so simple to close the distance between them. And it was so tempting.

"KENZIE!"

Draco felt a soft palm press against his lips and nose, and he was thrust away from the girl he was craving to get closer to abruptly. Through the spaces between the fingers draped over his eyes he could see Kenzie's head turned to the left, her light brows knitted together in frustration.

"WHAT?" she called back, impatient.

"I'VE GOT CHLAMYDIA!"

* * *

><p>Sam was like a drill sergeant when she had a goal. She wouldn't let anything stop her. Her usually bubbly expression was replaced with one of extreme determination, and all that mattered was her objective. So most everyone parted like the Red Sea when she marched through the corridors, followed by Annabelle, Kenzie, and Rose, all of whom were speechless.<p>

Her steps were long, her strides quick, and she was soon carried to the Great Hall, where Dinner was in session. None of them really had appetites, but there was someone who didn't know. Someone who might care greatly. The doors pushed open and the quartet streamed in, all heading to the Gryffindor table where the targets were sitting.

Harry and Eryn were officially together. Since their phenomenal kiss, he took her to the Hogwarts kitchens for their first real date. Insisting that the elves do as little as they could, they actually made their own cookies and then took them in a basket out to the lake. It took an hour's worth of gushing afterwards with the girls to get all the giggles out of Eryn.

So, as was probably customary, they were sat at the Gryffindor table, across from one another, eating their meatloaf through laughs. Neither were aware of the four girls standing at their sides until Annabelle cleared her throat loudly.

The blush that crossed the couple's cheeks proved enough that they were still getting used to showing PDA of any sort.

"Harry?" Sam asked, her usual flirty voice faded in comparison to the one she now took on. All signs of the old Sam were gone; she was replaced with one who had one goal in life. Or at the moment at least.

He looked up, face heightening in color even more so when he saw that a number of them were watching. "Y-yes?" he replied, clearing his throat a bit.

"Remember a month or two ago, when we did the nasty?"

Eryn spluttered on the glass of pumpkin juice she'd been sipping, her hand withdrawing even more into her lap, eyes averted from Harry, who looked even more embarrassed than before.

"Uhm, yeah," he muttered fast.

Sam sighed a bit and placed her forearm on his shoulder, leaning forward so that the boys across the table next to Eryn could see down her shirt quite nicely. "Well, you were a virgin, right?" He nodded fast, trying to ignore the snickering of the Gryffindor's who heard and were winking at Sam.

She nodded back before leaning down and murmuring, "You need to get down to the Hospital Wing so Madam Pomfrey can check you out."

He gulped, eyes trying to keep focused on her face while Eryn struggled not to send death glares at her friend. "W-What d'you mean?"

"I've got chlamydia," she replied, her tone resigned.

Eryn's eyes grew, as did Harry's, as well as the blokes who were staring down her shirt. All faces turned slightly red. Annabelle prodded Sam's back and she turned round.

"I think that you slept with more than just Harry in the past month, hm?" she said under her breath. Sam sighed before nodding and climbing up on the bench, then the table. All eyes went under her skirt, but a punch to one guy from Rose made them all keep their eyes higher up.

She cleared her throat importantly, which drew little attention. Her nostrils flared a bit when someone threw a roll at her ass. But all hell broke loose when she finally couldn't stand being ignored any longer.

"EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LISTEN!" she cried.

The room went silent.

She let out a breath before continuing. "IF YOU'VE SLEPT WITH ME IN THE PAST MONTH, GET YOUR ARSE TO THE HOSPITAL WING AND GET TESTED FOR CHLAMYDIA THIS INSTANT!"

More silence.

Finally, the ear-piercing sound of a bench being pushed away from a table rang out at the Hufflepuff table, and two lanky fourth years scurried off, followed by a few seventh year Ravenclaw's. Sam cleared her throat again, eyes searching through the crowd for more.

A few more people ran off. No one noticed Professor Burbage daintily run off, following the stream of students at a distance, and Kenzie's face heated up with both indignation and discomfiture when Draco got up and pulled Blaise to his feet, tugging him along.

Crabbe and Goyle rose to follow, goofy grins across their gnomish faces, but Sam thrust a finger towards them, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Don't even think about it you two. Not unless you've slept with Malfoy or Zabini in the past few weeks."

Their faces turned dull purple as they sat back down quickly.

Sam let out a final sigh and cleared her throat, to which Rose rolled her eyes and stuck out a hand. The former girl took it and helped herself down, then wandered out of the Great Hall, all eyes stuck on her ass. As usual.

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><p><strong>Review! :D<strong>


	18. Admittance

**I'M BACK! (after over a month). I'm so, so, so, so, so, so, SO sorry for leaving you so suddenly! I have exams this week coming, so I'm stressed, and then the school year's almost over! Woo!**

**I had a shitload of schoolwork to pass in, including a valedictorian speech, so fingers crossed that I'll be chosen! And if not me, then ErynPotter for sure ;)**

**Here is chapter 18 of this story! Thank you all so much for sticking with it! :D**

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><p>"<em>You absolute ARSE<em>!"

Rose's rarely shrill voice echoed throughout the corridor, followed by a yelp of pain. Any passers-by quickly spun on their heels and left before they'd be held accountable. Most of the school was bright enough to know that when Rose was angry, you steered clear until the storm passed. Unfortunately, her wrath was aimed towards a certain individual. One that was currently getting a beating.

"_You fucking think_ –" She kicked him in the shin hard. "– _that you can fucking call_ –" Her fist made contact with his shoulder. "– _my friend a SLUT_ –" As he was doubled over, she shoved him to the ground, pulled out her wand, and pointed it straight at his nose. "– _and get away with it_?"

Ron was sprawled on the cold stone floor, his limbs aching, pain written on his face. He lifted his hands by his head in a sign of surrender to which Rose simply narrowed her eyes further.

"I'm sorry!" he called, his low tone quite a contrast to her higher one. "I didn't mean it! I swear!"

"Then why the _fuck_ would you say it?" she hissed back.

Motioning to her that he was not going to fight back or run off, he slowly got to his feet, and now towered over her, making her feel less menacing, but really not changing the amount of fear she struck into his heart at all. Her wand remained raised, very close to his freckled face, keeping deadly still.

"Well, when the girl that sleeps with half the population of the school just up and gets chlamydia, the first word to pop into everyone's mind is _slut_," he said carefully, hoping not to raise her temper any more.

"Even so, you decided to be a bloody dumbass and say it to my face," she replied. "Besides, why is Sam a slut and Lavender isn't?"

It was now Ron's turn to let his blood boil. He pushed her wand away from his face and stalked away, but a small hand on his shoulder spun him back round to her. She didn't look the least bit remorseful at her words.

"You can't deny that she's snogged the majority of the blokes in school," she added, fuelling his anger intentionally, feeling herself becoming more satisfied with each insult. "You're just another one to add to the list."

"Go to hell, Carson," he grumbled. She smirked and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Has the told you she's slept with a professor for extra credit? Or is she pretending she's 'saving herself' for you."

"Oh, who the hell are you to judge, eh?" he snapped over her as his ears and cheeks flushed a horrible red color. "You're the fucking opposite of Sam! You're a completely straight-laced prude, worse than Hermione I'd reckon! You go round acting all high and mighty, like nothing can bother you, but I've got eyes, Rose! I can see what gets to you!"

She hid her shock at his outburst well, just glaring at him steadily behind the blonde hair that had fallen out of her ponytail and into her face. "And what 'gets to me', hmm, Ron?"

"I do."

_Shit_.

"Keep dreaming, Weasley. The day you get to me is the day that your hair goes blue."

"You know I'm right," he said. He was panting slightly, his blue eyes trained on her brown ones, trying to see if he was right. He'd gone out on a limb when he guessed she was bothered by his and Lavender's relationship. And if it wasn't true, he'd never hear the end of it. She'd probably never speak to him again. That thought shook him to his core.

"Like hell."

"Every time you see me and Lav in the halls, or snogging in a corner, or just talking, I can see the fires of hell burning behind your glasses. I know that you hate us for being together. You know it too."

She started to shake her head near the middle of the sentence and let out a derisive laugh at the end. "You're so fucking full of yourself, Weasley. You think I care about you? I don't give a flying fuck what you and Lavender Brown do between the bed sheets, or in a broom cupboard, or behind the fucking Quidditch Pitch! You two can go be happy together and live happily ever after like all the fairy tales depict, and just leave me the fuck alone!"

"Stop lying to yourself, Rose! Just admit that you like me!" he yelled, horribly frustrated.

"I won't admit something that's bullshit!"

"Rose!"

"Stop thinking that I'm in love with you! Just because I have some miniscule, tiny, almost non-existent crush on you! Or because I think I might be falling for you, with your eyes and your hair… Why can't you just ignore that I think I'm in love with you?"

Silence was thick in the air as she suddenly realized all she'd said. Ron's eyes had widened to the size of Galleons, his mouth gaping, and his ears turning red in embarrassment. He moved his lips up and down like a fish out of water for a moment, and seemed like he would say something when someone else showed up.

"WON-WON!"

Rose let out a wince at the pitch of Lavender's cry, and stayed incredibly still when she jovially bounced over to them, latching onto Ron's harm in an instant. She smiled widely at him, to which he couldn't return, his gaze still fixated no Rose as she kept her eyes determinedly on the ground.

"I have to go," she said quickly, and turned round hastily.

Ron took a step towards her. "No, don't –"

"Let her leave, Won-Won," Lavender soothed, hissing out _her_ in contempt. Rose would've socked her in the jaw if she wasn't already running out of the school.

* * *

><p>The next time Sam spoke to Neville was almost three weeks after the condom incident. And she didn't even initiate the conversation.<p>

As she was wandering out of Potions class to dinner, a hand wrapped round her arm and pulled her aside, through a rarely used corridor that led directly to the fifth floor. Meaning no one would use it, as the stomachs of every student were rumbling with hunger.

She let out a squeak, but he hushed it with his lips, shocking her beyond words. But, as was her nature, she slid her arms round his neck and drew herself closer. She felt his hand resting gently on her hip, his thumb massaging the skin, as her blouse had a tendency to ride up when she moved (something no one felt was unfortunate).

For some reason, she knew immediately who it was, and she murmured gently against his lips, as she had when she snogged him in his bed so long ago, "_Neville_."

She expected him to pull away, but instead, he moved closer, pushing her gently against a wall, his other hand cradling her head so it didn't smack into the stones. He broke the kiss first, but only a bit, so their noses brushed against each other and their lips were barely a breath apart.

"How'd you know?" he muttered back. She smiled small.

"Had a hunch," she replied. She felt his own lips contort into a slight grin as his fingers brushed through her hair gently. Looking up through the shadows of the corridor into his eyes, she felt herself melting.

Maybe seducing him _wouldn't_ be too difficult.

"So, why the sudden snog in the dark?" she asked with a breath of laughter. He looked down at her a bit more seriously.

"I heard about your…affliction," was his reply, to which the corners of her lips sagged. "And I thought you could use some comforting."

"I thought you were deathly afraid of any human contact whatsoever," she countered. She always felt a bit touchy on the subject of her sexual health. And as it was the talk of the school, it was hard to avoid.

"With most people. But you make me feel…safe… if that makes sense." There was a pause, in which he kept his pupils down and grumbled something. She quirked a brow.

"Say again?"

He sighed a bit but didn't remove his gaze from the ground. "I said…is chlamydia contagious through snogging?"

She looked at him for a long moment before biting her lip hard and shoving him away. His warm hands immediately left her skin as she stormed out from the corridor. She could hear his footsteps behind her but didn't slow.

"Sam, I'm sorry –"

"The fact that you made me feel so loved in the start is bad enough!" she moaned, hugging her books to her chest. "But to ask that? How do you think I'm feeling, Neville Longbottom? The school acts like I'm a diseased creature who you can't touch without getting some horrible illness called _whoritis_!"

"I didn't mean to sound so harsh –"

"Well don't worry. I won't go near you again. Not after I'm clean again, or ever."

She stormed off faster, leaving him to stand in the cold hallway with a pain in his chest.

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><p><strong>So much drama! I'm sorry that it's short, but I wrote it all in one afternoon because I was feeling inspired!<strong>

**The pairings up for next chapter: Annabelle/Blaise and Harry/Eryn. What can I brew up for them?... Wait and see! ;D**

**REVIEW! :D**


	19. Searching

**Quick updates! Been a while since I've actually updated this quickly! But I've got exams this week, and I'm guessing the stress is making me more creative. So yeah! Enjoy!**

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><p>Blaise looked over the top of his textbook, quirking a dark eyebrow at Draco, who sat on the couch, looking at the fire with an expression of contemplation and serenity. As he was often an impulsive and cocky prick, this concerned his friend a bit.<p>

"What's on your mind?" he asked, flicking a page and skimming the contents. He heard the blonde sigh slightly and shift so he was leaning forwards, elbows on knees, hands clasped together. A silence fell upon them. "If you don't tell me, I'll just go and get Parkinson. I'm sure she'd love to help –"

"Thorne." His voice was surprisingly calm instead of enraged like it usually was at the mention of her name. Blaise smirked a bit.

"As in, Kenzie Thorne?" he asked. "Short, clumsy, big-chested, smartass Thorne?" Draco nodded. "Why in the name of Salazar is _she,_ of all people, on your mind?"

"We nearly snogged last week."

Blaise's heavy book dropped to the ground as he fell back in his chair, laughing so hard he thought his body would never stop convulsing. A few feet away, Draco had turned his head and was looking at his friend in annoyance.

"What's so funny about that?" he grumbled, mercury eyes shooting daggers. Blaise let out one last bark of laughter before sitting up straight again, tears nearly streaming down his face.

"I can remember, quite vividly, that you said you'd rather die than make out with a Mudblood. And now you're willingly choosing to!" His smile widened. "Don't let Parkinson hear you say you wanna make kissy-faces with Thorne. I can just hear her now: you low–"

"YOU LOWLIFE SCUM!"

Both of the boys turned their heads towards the portrait leading into the Slytherin common room. To their surprise, in stormed Harriet Jones, her face livid. Her chestnut hair that normally had such a gentle wave to it looked as though she'd stuck her finger into a Muggle electrical socket. And her hazel eyes were angrier than either had ever seen them.

The fifth year that was often so calm and quiet looked ready to kill someone.

Blaise knew that her fury was directed at him – it had to be; after all, she was semi-regularly shagging him, not Draco – and rose to his feet to take a few steps back. She was upon him in seconds; her nicely-manicured hand slapped him hard across the cheek while also scratching him slightly, though not hard enough to draw blood. He hissed slightly, but her eyes were pitiless.

"HOW COULD YOU SLEEP WITH SAMANTHA CALLOWAY?" she cried out, piercing all their eardrums. He looked at her strangely, a hand cupping his wounded face.

"What're you talking ab–"

"Don't play dumb with me, Blaise Zabini!" she shrieked. He winced. "You slept with Calloway, then slept with me, and now we've got it!"

Draco, who was sitting back and trying not to burst out with chuckles, choked a bit. "You've got chlamydia?" he nearly laughed, the question aimed towards his friend. The pair answered at the same time.

"No!"

"Yes!"

Harriet and Blaise gawked at each other, unsure of what to say. For while Blaise had managed not to contract a sexually transmitted disease, his regular lay had.

He shook his head in shock and marched out of the common room, ignoring Harriet's protests. He had to get to see someone. Someone who hated him at the moment, but he needed to see.

"So, thus far into our challenge," Annabelle explained slowly to her four friends who were surrounding her, "only one of us is safe from being tossed into the Black Lake starkers."

"That would be _meeeeee_!" Eryn giggled, smiling broadly. She was easily elbowed by Kenzie and Rose, who stood on either side of her. She pouted but her grin was still visible beneath it.

"I got pretty close," Kenzie pointed out.

"Well, if we were counting 'pretty close', then Sam would be safe too. She straddled Neville and basically dry humped him whilst snogging once," Rose pointed out impatiently. Kenzie rolled her eyes.

"At this point, I would just take the fucking dare of it and be thrust into the lake nude," Sam shrugged. "Neville's a dick and I'll be damned before I shag him."

All of them gave her a look, but didn't question her further.

"We all have about 2 months until the deadline," Eryn reminded them. "So get on your boys! If you don't, then you'll be giving the Giant Squid quite a show." She winked and made everyone smile a bit. "Meeting adjourned!"

As the five girls split up to go their respective ways, Annabelle wandered down into the very bowels of the school, taking a long route to the Gryffindor tower, not really wanting to be around people. She had to formulate a plan to get Blaise Zabini to snog her.

She wanted to gag at the thought, but she couldn't. He was a two-timing asshole, who made her want to tear her hair out, but he was still beautiful in every way, and she felt bad for him. Harriet was a hell of a lot of drama and no one could handle that with ease. She shook her head clear of those thoughts of the pair of them kissing and hurried on.

The fact she was so wrapped up in her own little world only made her jump harder when she ran straight into a wall of muscle. Her head snapped up and she was met with those soulful eyes.

Just like the day she'd given him that black eye in Potions class and healed it.

"Oh good," he said, breaking the silence with his deep voice. "I was looking for you."

Hoping her face wasn't as red as she thought it was, she took a step away from him and hugged her books tighter to her chest. She was on her guard. All of her senses heightened as she was met with the person she needed and loathed the most. "What for?" she asked. She hoped she came off as cool and indifferent.

He took in a deep breath, letting it out with the scent of peppermint that made her heart flutter. _Stop it_! she mentally chastised herself. _He's just a pawn to make sure you don't end up swimming naked! Don't fall for him_!

"I slept with your friend Sam, then with Harriet," he explained quickly, "And Harriet ended up with chlamydia while I didn't."

Annabelle couldn't help but raise her eyes to meet his and almost laughed out loud. The first word to race through her mind was _karma_, followed by _fuck you bitch, you deserved it_. She bit her lip hard to keep back a smile.

"What does that mean for me?" she asked, hoping her delight didn't leak into her words. He stared at the ground for a moment before looking up at her.

"Will you sleep with me?"

* * *

><p>Harry and Eryn were easily the happiest couple in Hogwarts. The only thing that was yet to be determined was if either would actually ask the other out. Yes, they were constantly holding hands, kissing in corners, being genuinely happy together, but neither had made the first move to take a chance and ask the other to be their boyfriendgirlfriend.

And all the girls knew that while Eryn would never in a million years ask him, she was dying for him to ask her.

So, she resorted to hinting. However, her subtlety left a lot to be desired. And it was all her friend could do to not yank her away from him sometimes and slap some sense into her. She knew she was being blatantly obvious, but the most annoying bit was that Harry didn't pick up on any of it. If anything, he even seemed to be a bit distanced whenever she tried to bring up the topic.

"Kenzie was telling me about this novel she was reading, by some Muggle author or other, right?" Eryn began, curled up on the sofa in the Gryffindor common room. Harry sat to her right, an arm casually slung over her shoulders, half listening and half-heartedly attempting to study.

"Uh-huh."

"And in it, the bloke who the protagonist was 'trying to win the affections of' was being a dickwad and not getting her hints."

"That's what dickwads often do."

She furrowed her brow but just closed her eyes, leaning her head back and continuing. "So, do you know what she did?"

"What did she do?" He closed his textbook and dropped it onto the table.

"She told him she wanted to be his girlfriend. Isn't that a good idea?"

She noticed the way his arm and managed to slink from around her shoulders into his lap and it made her pout a bit. Her knees went up and she hugged them, resting her chin in the crook. Around her face, she could see her bright pink curls.

"Isn't that a good idea, Harry?" she pressed a bit, biting her lip and looking at him hopefully. He purposefully avoided her blue-eyed gaze and got up quickly.

"I have to leave, Eryn. M'sorry. I told Hagrid I'd walk Fang… Bye." And he rushed out.

She bit her lip harder and stared at the cushion he'd been sitting on not ten seconds ago. Trying not to let her tears slip, she took a deep, shuddering breath and hugged her knees tighter to her chest.

He didn't want to be with her. It was so simple, and so obvious. She was just a little fling to him. After all, why would the Boy Who Lived – the Chosen One – choose little old Eryn Winters, when he could have any girl in the castle at the drop of a hat? She'd been fooling herself to think that he wanted her as badly as she wanted him.

Sadness was followed by outright anger. She didn't exactly know why. All she'd been dreaming of since first year was getting Harry Potter to like her. Yet now he was at the back of her mind. Shaking her head to herself, she got up and stalked out of the common room, hoping to find a certain someone on the way to help solve her problems.

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><p><strong>I just love making drama happen :') what dyou think will happen? Will Annabelle say yes to Blaise's ever-so-tempting offer? Who is Eryn searching for?<strong>

**And the age old question: WILL THIS STORY EVER END?**

**Stay tuned to find out ;)**

**REVIEW! :D**


	20. Meeting

**I'm back! This is the next chapter to this story, which is slowly coming to a close. I had all my ideas written out before school ended, but what with the cleaning of bags and whatnot, it got lost. So, I'm making it back up as I go along. Each pairing is slowly realizing feelings (I can almost hear you all saying, "Finally!") and soon enough, they'll happily ever after together! Or will they?**

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><p>At first, Annabelle just thought that he was insane. Completely and utterly insane. And she said as much, too, followed by a sharp slap across the cheek. He hissed as her hand made contact with his face and held the place that stung. Glaring at her slightly, he straightened up.<p>

"Can I explain why I gave that proposition?" he asked, hoping to keep his temper. She stared up at him, still incredibly confused, but nodded slightly. He sighed. "Because Harriet got chlamydia while I didn't, I want to see if it was just a fluke. So, by sleeping with you, and you getting tested, we can f-"

_Slap_!

He reeled yet again as she stood, taller than most girls at 5'9, yet she was dwarfed when he stood at 6'2. Her blue eyes were ablaze with anger and he saw that her hand was clenched now, so if he said one more wrong thing, he'd get a heavy throw of her fist to his nose.

"You're out of your mind if you think I'm gonna be your STI guinea pig!" she hissed. "That's just sick, Zabini! Sick and disgusting and just… horrible!"

"Oh please, like you'll have another lay ever again," he grumbled, rolling his eyes. Unfortunately, she heard him, and shrieked under her breath. Her hand rose again to clock him, but he caught her wrist before she could.

Her furious eyes met his calming ones, and her breathing instantly hitched. She couldn't help but bite her lip as she watched his irises plunge into hers without even trying. His palm was surprisingly soft, the long fingers wrapped round her wrist loose enough that it didn't hurt, but tight enough to show he had the power here.

But the moment she batted her eyelashes at him, he melted inside. He let go of her quickly at the sudden lack of control he held and looked at the ground for a moment before aiming his gaze back at hers.

"I'm sorry," he said smoothly, voice like silk. "I didn't mean that truly. But you cannot blame me for wanting to get you between my sheets."

She tried to rework her rage and knock him down, but she couldn't find the will. Everything he said seemed so flattering and tempting. She couldn't imagine anything better at that moment that crawling in bed with him. She shook her head, making her ruby red curls bounce a bit, and looked at the ground.

"Please, Annabelle?" he murmured. The way her name sounded on his tongue was almost sinful, and she couldn't believe herself when she nodded her assent. The smile that broke across his dark face was worth it.

"Where and when?"

"This Saturday night. Be in the Slytherin boy's dorm at midnight. You're friends with Thorne, she can let you in."

She nodded again, biting her lip as she thought. And he easily strode away, suddenly feeling both excited and a bit worried.

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><p>Kenzie would've given anything to be able to talk about the way she felt right then. All the Draco Malfoy drama was getting to her, she decided. Because he was suddenly always on her mind. She realized that getting that kiss from him wasn't just for the wager anymore.<p>

And that scared her shitless.

All her friends that she could possibly talk to her were the girls, and they'd all instantly tease her wholeheartedly for her little crush. So she knocked them off as people to talk to. She needed someone she could confide in, but who knew nothing of the bet.

So, she found Theodore Nott, a 6th year Slytherin who just so happened to be the most unbiased person she knew. He was, like almost all Slytherins, a bit of a prick, but towards her, he was kind and understanding. And he didn't mock her like most people would. He was the perfect guy friend.

She found him in the library, reading _Hogwarts: A History_ for probably the thousandth time in his life, and he looked up at her when she nearly fell into the chair next to his. Dropping her satchel in the centre of the table with a loud _thunk_, she received a number of angry glares from Madam Pince and studious students. As her cheeks heated, she looked over at her friend, who was smirking almost inconspicuously.

"You always manage to make an entrance, Thorne," he said. His voice was always this quiet, as though he were afraid to be overheard. Not that she minded, especially given that they were in the library.

"You say that like it's a bad thing," she muttered in response. Theo flipped the page of his book, keeping still and calm as though she hadn't just barged in on his reading to talk. After a few moments of silence, she let out a frustrated sigh, and leaned against the table. "I've got a question."

"I may or may not have the answer," he replied evenly.

"About Malfoy."

He looked over the top of his book and quirked an eyebrow at her. "As in Draco Malfoy, your sworn enemy." She nodded and he chuckled under his breath, moving his novel aside. "Do continue. This sounds like it could be intriguing."

"Well," she fidgeted a bit while saying, playing with the hem of her starched school-regulation skirt, "I… may not hate him as much as I thought I did. I think… maybe my hating him was… a misconstrued emotion. And maybe… I may actually… sorta… kinda… like him?"

This instantly made Theo gawk a bit, which was difficult to do, as he was always cool and collected. But he straightened himself quickly. "You mean romantically, I take it?"

Kenzie nodded.

"Well, I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. In hindsight, this is actually rather regular among people who hate one another. Take your friend Carson and Weasley. Why, they were horrified with one another at the start of the year. But now –"

"Theo! Focus!" Kenzie practically had to yell. "I know about Rose's infinite love for Ron! That's not what I'm here to discuss!" Several people around her made shushing noises, which she ignored.

"My apologies," he said with ease. "What do you wish to happen now that you have told me you're in love with Malfoy?"

"I don't kno– I never said I was _in love_ with the git!" she cried frantically, grasping the edge of the table and standing. Her eyes were instantly ablaze, trying to make him swallow his words. But his gaze was as calm as ever.

"Well, do you?"

She slowly sat down again, biting her lip and staring at the table. "Well… maybe… I don't know…" She looked at him desperately. "Help me, Theo!"

He sighed slightly and leaned on the table, taking her hand very gently. "I realize how cliché this will sound, but it's been true for eons. You need to tell him how you feel, Kenzie. Living your life without sharing these emotions will end tragically. And I want you to be happy." He let a rare, genuine smile cross his face, and couldn't help but grin a bit herself. The curving of his lips was so rare that it was contagious at the very sight of it.

Getting up, she scurried to his side and hugged him tight, kissing his cheek very softly. "Thank you so much, Theo," she murmured, then grabbed her bag and left the library.

Theo's hand raised to the place where her warm lips had been just for a moment before raising his book again and continuing his reading.

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><p>"That backstabbing wanker!"<p>

Blaise slapped Draco in the back of the head at the language used so loudly in such a quiet place. But this didn't lessen his friend's anger.

For the past several minutes, they'd been peeking through the bookshelves at Nott and Thorne, and while neither of them had said a word while eavesdropping on their little exchange, now that the latter had left, Draco's full fury left him.

"Nott knows that I'm interested in Thorne!" he cried. Blaise rolled his eyes.

"Did you tell him as much?" he asked, his tone lower.

"I shouldn't need to! I'm the bloody Prince of Slytherin. What I think goes." He turned his enraged eyes from the space between the books and instead to Blaise. The dark boy had to recoil slightly.

He'd never seen Draco like this. While he'd dated and snogged Pansy Parkinson a thousand times, and had his fair share of shags in broom cupboards, Blaise had never seen this kind of reaction from his friend. The absolute fire in his eyes was practically tangible.

"Nott will pay for this dearly. Mark my words," Draco muttered heatedly before turning on his heel and marching out of the library with Blaise behind him, who couldn't help but roll his eyes a bit at the antics displayed before him.

In the back of Draco's blonde little mind, he could imagine how he would kill his Housemate. Nothing would stop him from eliminating any competition he had to make Kenzie Thorne be his.

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><p><strong>REVIEW! :D<strong>


	21. Rumours

**And welcome, one and all, to the 21st chapter of Seduce! Don't worry, everyone! We've nearly reached the end of our journey together! There are.. *searches for the paper with the ideas written on it* ..3-4 more chapters, I do believe! Don't quote me on that though!**

**Anyways, the story gets a bit confusing near here. I realized a bit too late that I left a lot of untied ends and should really, yknow, get those cleaned up. So the endings will make sense, but they might be a bit unorthodox is all. Don't complain. After all, I could've deleted this story.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p>Rage was searing through Eryn's veins, burning her as she stormed throughout the castle. She had her sights set on whom to go to, so it was now only a matter of finding and confronting him. And while some logical part of her brain was shrieking at her to get back to the common room and just drown her sorrows in butterbeer and chocolate, the rebellious side that she let out so rarely was taking the reins and pushing her along.<p>

"He'll pay," she snarled under her breath, frightening several first years she passed with the mad look in her eyes. Her hands were clenched into small, tight fists by her sides in anger, and she could swear that everyone could hear her hammering heartbeat.

Finally, she came across her prey, and for once, he was alone. His leech of a girlfriend wasn't sucking on his face, which was exactly what Eryn needed right now. Willing herself not to wimp out now, she stormed forwards and turned him round so he faced her.

"Oh," Ron coughed, a bit taken aback at her sudden abrasive touch. "Hey Eryn. I don't know where Rose is. Actually, could I ask-"

"You need to tell Harry to get it through his thick skull that I'm not going to be here forever!" she called over him, making his eyes widen and his jaw drop.

"Uhm… Okay?" he stuttered.

"I'm madly in love with him, but he doesn't seem to be doing something, and you know damn well what I'm talking about. And _no_, it's _not_ sex!" Her eyes narrowed further when his face flushed, giving his perverted thoughts away. "Since there's no other way to get his attention, I'm taking drastic measures." She let out a bit of a weary sigh and muttered to herself, "I hope Rose can forgive me."

Ron's brow quirked up a bit. "What-"

He was shut up by her suddenly kissing him. Hard. And she was pleasantly surprised that he didn't kiss her back. Not that she didn't think he could do the job well, but the idea of snogging her not-officially-made boyfriend's best friend, and her own friend's crush, made her stomach churn a bit. But after a few more moments, she dropped her hands and pulled away, dropping down to her short stature.

"Knowing Lavender Brown, she's probably lurking and this'll spread like wildfire," she informed him briefly, then turned on her heel and stalked away. Ron was left to look after her, dazed and confused, and hoping that she was wrong.

Unfortunately, hope doesn't always work.

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><p>A small moan came from beneath the sheets, followed by a throaty groan, and rhythmic panting. The blankets were pulled aside, and Sam curled up closer to the boy of the night at the chilly air. It might have been nearly June, but the Ravenclaw common room could get cool. His arms instinctively wrapped round her.<p>

"You're so perfect, Sam," he murmured in her ear. A practiced giggle emitted her lips as she kissed along his shoulders. She'd heard it before – not in a while, though – yet always liked the little compliments that followed sex. In the post-fucking haze of bliss, one says the most sincere things. But at this time, Sam couldn't find it in herself to return any compliment. Not that it really mattered. He had passed out already.

She was normally the kind of person to return any kind wishes given, but she couldn't. Because she knew if she did, it would be a lie. The fact of the matter was that the entirety of the time she had been pushed down against the mattress and kissed so sweetly, she wasn't picturing the good looking bloke beside her.

Neville had been the image in her mind. And she hated herself for him being the one she wanted there.

When she said she'd sooner be damned before shagging Neville, she had meant it at the time. She really had. All her pent up frustration from being blamed for spreading a disease throughout the school had gotten to her and she couldn't help but snap at his attempts to apologize whenever he saw her.

But now she was clean. Magical medicine worked so much quicker than the Muggle stuff, and in a week or two, she had been sent through many tests and found to be completely chlamydia-free. So what did she do to celebrate? She got laid.

Biting her lip, she turned over so her back was to the man beside her. The sheets shifted, so she pulled them up over her bare shoulder. Watching the shadows of the flickering candle by her bed dance around on the stone floor, she found herself being lulled to sleep.

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><p>Morning crept up on Sam far too quickly for her likes. Luckily, it was a Saturday, so she wasn't needed anywhere anytime soon. But according to the clock on the wall, it was only 6am. She let out a bit of a whine and turned to cuddle up with her lay, but found the space next to her empty.<p>

She sat up slowly, letting the sheet bunch up at her hips. No one else was awake, and those who were had left. Looking around, she let a hand run through her auburn curls – they seemed to be going darker as the months dragged on – and watched a wave fall into her face. As she blew it away, something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye.

On her nightstand was a folded piece of parchment. A small grin slid upon her face as she picked it up and slowly opened it. At the top of the page was a Gryffindor emblem, with the lion in the centre magically scratching at the edges of the crest and looking around curiously. Was the bloke from last night a Gryffindor? She couldn't seem to recall.

Her eyes scanned the paper, and she felt her expression grow darker and more worried with each word that seeped into her mind. And as she read the name that it was signed from, she threw her blankets off, pulled on the nearest pieces of clothing she could find, and ran from the dormitories.

Splayed open on her mattress was the note, and in fine cursive, it read:

_Since I can't seem to gain your attention when I talk to you in person, perhaps the written word will make you listen. By the time you wake and find this, I'll be up on the Astronomy Tower, perched and ready to let go of the rail._

_Yes, this is overdramatic. No, I don't usually do things like this. But people do crazy things when they're in love._

_-Neville_

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><p>"Did you hear?"<p>

"What did I hear, Leanne?"

"Lavender Brown's been telling the whole school! How could you _not_ hear?"

From the Eryn's bed in the sixth year Hufflepuff girl's dorms, Rose hid quite well behind the drapes she shut earlier. She'd been reading for a while, until Leanne came bursting in, seemingly filled with excitement. Rose didn't know who else was occupying the space, but it was now evident that Hannah Abbot was here, too.

For the past week, Rose had been spending her nights here as opposed to her own dorms. Mostly because Lavender was there, and Rose didn't need to be put into detention for giving the hairsprayed-to-perfection little bimbo a bloody eye and black nose. So, for the safety of Gryffindor-kind, she was staying here.

"You aren't making any sense," the voice of Susan Bones rang from the bed next to Eryn's. Someone huffed, presumably Leanne.

"Brown's been telling the everyone that her boyfriend cheated on her!"

Rose quirked a brow at this, though no one could see it. Ron had cheated on Lavender? That seemed a bit farfetched. Though she was incredibly angry with him for making her so in love with him, she knew he wouldn't hurt someone like that.

"Ron Weasley cheated on Brown?" Hannah laughed. "Didn't see that coming."

"It gets better though!" Leanne cut over. "You know how Brown seems to hate Carson, that blonde girl in her year?" Nodding happened, or so the rustling of necks against blouse collars made evident. "And how Carson is friends with Eryn?" More nodding. "Weasley cheated on Brown with Eryn!"

In an instant, Rose's head snapped up and she was gaping in the direction of Leanne's voice.

"No!" Susan gasped.

"She did! Brown seems to think that it's all because Carson is in love with Weasley and wants to get at her inadvertently for being the one he chose, but it's all a bunch of bullshit if you ask-"

The drapes tore open, making all the girls yelp a bit in fright, and they watched wide-eyed as Rose stormed out of the dorms, down the stairs, out of the common room, and to find the boy in question.

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><p>Ron wandered through the corridors on the fifth floor, watching his feet go in and out of his view as he moved. He was alone, or so the lack of noise made him assume, and he was happy like that. Because for the past few days, Lavender wouldn't leave him alone, and was wailing half the time she was near.<p>

Apparently, because Winters kissed him, he had cheated on his girlfriend. Or, rather, his ex-girlfriend. Not three hours ago, he'd worked up the nerve to tell Lavender to piss off and that he was done with her. Unfortunately, those exact words cost him a heavy slap to the cheek and tears streaking her face. Not that he minded too much.

So now he was just walking, hoping to find some piece of sanity on his journey.

"WEASLEY!"

His hopes would not be answered soon, apparently, as he spun round and narrowly dodged a curse thrown towards him. He gawked at the force of the spell, but when he saw who had cast it, he was even more surprised. Rose Carson was stalked towards him, her tiny body shaking in what he could only assume was rage. He made to say something, but watched as her wand was pressed against his neck.

"What did you and Eryn do that made Lavender so angry, she felt the urge to send the news around the school and back again?" she asked, her voice low and deadly. For once, though, Ron wasn't threatened by her. Instead, he rolled his eyes.

"Eryn kissed me. That's it. She came up to me and kissed me and told me to tell Harry to get his head out of his arse," he explained easily. Her eyes didn't stop glaring.

"Then why does Lavender seem to make it a whole helluva lot worse?"

"Because she's a drama queen and she loves the attention of it all," he replied easily. "Now move your wand would you? It's digging into me."

She pushed it in harder in response, making him splutter a bit. "Don't lie to me, Weasley. I know that she's in love with Harry and would have a hard time even considering to kiss someone else. And I know that your girlfriend would sooner-"

"Ex."

This caught Rose off-guard, and Ron felt her wand let up a bit from his skin. Her eyes widened slightly, and her lips parted in surprise.

"Ex? As in she dumped you?" she managed to get out weakly. He felt his stomach churn with a bit of annoyance, but didn't say anything. Pushing her wand from him, he corrected her.

"Ex, as in I dumped her. We're done. No more Lavender Brown meltdowns."

A small smile turned the corner of Rose's lips upwards, but she shook her head to rid herself of it. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why dump her? She's done worse it would seem. Why dump her for this?"

Ron sighed slightly before shaking his head at Rose and looking her in the eyes. "She spread that rumour to get to you. It didn't matter that everyone else knew, as long as you somehow got the message. I can guarantee that she was hoping to get you angry at both me and Eryn, and that maybe the rage would make your crush wear off-"

"I don't have a crush on you."

"Oh, give it a rest, Rose!" he cried out, making her jump a bit. His large hands grabbed her shoulders and shook her slightly, but not enough to hurt her. After all, though she was surprised, she would sooner punch him out then let him hurt her. "You admitted it to both of us the other day. Why d'you have to keep lying to yourself?"

"Because if I don't, then I'll give in to you and to myself and I'm not ready to do that!" she screamed over him. "I don't want to get hurt because of some stupid, tall, red-haired asshole who has hurt me and made me want to cry, but has also made me happier than I've been in a long time! And I don't want to have to deal with Brown breathing down my neck everytime I talk to you! Just let me go, We-"

"I love you, Rose."

And his lips covered hers.

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><p><strong>REVIEW! :D<strong>


	22. Interruptions

**New chapter! I promised Eryn that I would have this story done by her birthday, which may or may not happen, but seeing as there are two chapters left after this one, I don't see there being any issue with that.**

**ALSO wish my friends a happy birthday in your review, would you? Annabelle on the 3rd, Eryn on the 15th, myself on the 17th, and Sam on the 18th of September! Hopefully we all get what we want!**

**And finally, before the gruelling Authors Note is complete, I am going to make a list at the bottom of the last chapter with all the stories written by me or Sam or anyone else (just me and Sam at the moment ;) but that could change!) that are based off of characters from this long-as-hell fic. So, read those if you want more of these semi-lovable characters!**

**And now.. ON WITH THE CHAPTER!**

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><p>"<em>What the hell is wrong with you<em>?!"

Neville turned his head from the view down from the Astronomy Tower, his sweaty palms holding onto the rail tighter, hoping his feet wouldn't slip and let him dangle off the edge. He was normally terrified of heights, but he had been doing more and more things that were out of character in the last little while than ever before. Standing at the top of the long flight of stairs, looking terrified and half-dressed and like she'd fall apart any second, was Sam Calloway.

"I'm surprised you showed up," he muttered, shocked when she heard him and rushed towards him.

"You basically left a suicide note on my bedside table! I wasn't about to let you go through with it!" she exclaimed. Her long fingers wrapped round his wrist, tugging him to get inside, but he didn't budge. She was surprised at how strong he was.

"Why should I get in, Samantha?" She looked up at him, blue eyes widened in shock at his words. "I don't want to be back to routines and boring classes and watching everyone try to look up your skirt when you aren't watching."

"Oh please, don't make this about me and my sluttiness right now, Neville. Just get the fuck back in here and we can discuss this! I thought I was the brash one and you were level-headed!"

He turned to look at her sharply. "You aren't a slut. I was wrong to say as much. And I'm sorry."

She didn't relent her trying to pull him over the rail and into her arms, but was very aware at how her jaw dropped. She shook her head, trying to pretend her cheeks weren't heating at the intense stare he was giving her. "I am, don't lie. Now just hop over and-"

"You aren't, Sam," he cut over her. He lifted a hand and brushed her curls from her face, but she jumped at the opportunity, taking his hand tightly in hers and tugging him back. He hadn't expected the supple strength she held in her slim arms, and was tugged back, flipping over the railing and landing on his back behind its safety.

She dropped to her knees, not caring that the abrupt contact made her joints ache or that the skirt she'd grabbed on her way up here was lifted in a way that allowed him a glimpse of her knickers. Not that he was looking. He was crookedly lying on the floor, groaning in slight pain. She brushed a hand across his forehead and cheek.

"I'm sorry… But I couldn't let you…" She shook her head and tried to fight back an oncoming onslaught of tears. Sam didn't cry. Her friends had witnessed the girl weeping a maximum of three times throughout their entire friendship. Yet she couldn't help it when the sob in her throat was let out from her lips and the waterworks began.

Neville didn't mind. If anything, it showed him that she wasn't some strong, infinite being that all the guys seemed to think she was. He slowly wrapped his arms round her in what he hoped was a loving embrace, letting her soak his chest with sadness.

Her entire body was racked as she sniffed, her forehead pressed heavily to his shoulder. She didn't want to move, and was thankful when he didn't make her even when the crying subsided. The only motion she made was to turn her head and say softly, "Thank you."

In all honesty, her intention had been innocent: she made to kiss his cheek. But he turned to the left at the same moment she leant towards him, and their lips connected.

Neither of them stopped themselves when it happened. They didn't hesitate to press closer to one another and to let their hands roam the others body. She shifted so she wasn't lying on top of him, making him bear all of her weight, but she didn't go any further than an accidental pulling of his shirt. And even then he didn't make her get off him.

It was only when he groaned in discomfort that she sat up quickly and shook her head. Luckily, she noted that his arm had just been twisted in a very unnatural position. She carefully clambered off him, seating herself cross legged at his side. He managed to sit up as well, leaning on the railing that he had previously been hanging off of.

"I can't do that yet…" he muttered. She tilted her head upwards to look at him instead of her clasped hands, quirking a brow slightly. It seemed to be just an unsaid question that they both had itching in the back of their minds. "Sex, I mean. I can't."

Sam nodded slowly before wrapping her arms round herself. "Can I ask why?" He didn't respond for what felt like an eternity, and when he looked at her, his eyes were glistening with sorrow. She wanted to swallow the words she'd said and let the rule sink in, but it was out in the open now.

"Remember in fourth year, when the fake Mad-Eye Moody was teaching us all Defense of the Dark Arts?" he began slowly, shakily. She nodded. "Well, he pulled me back after one _Cruciatus_ lesson, and said he wanted to talk about why I was so shaky… Except…" A single tear fell down his cheek and he stared at the floorboards. "He didn't want to talk. He didn't want to do anything except lock the doors, shut the windows, and silence the room. I got a book on magical herbs to help Harry in the Second Task… But he took something from me in return…"

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><p>It surprised Annabelle how easy it was to get away from Kenzie at the end of their study session and slip down the hall to the boys dorm unnoticed. Of course, she knew her friend was weary with thoughts of Draco, even though she wouldn't say anything, and therefore wasn't paying attention when she scurried back and tried to find the sixth year boys dorms.<p>

No one was there when she snuck in and shut the door behind her. All the beds were made in a half-ass manner of someone who didn't care what their place of sleep looked like to the public eye, but she knew in a heartbeat which was his. Mainly because it was the neatest and it had a note sitting on the pillow.

She carefully opened it and read his careful handwriting, explaining that a slight Disillusioning Charm had been placed on his hangings, so on the off chance that anyone entered, they wouldn't notice her sitting there. As well, the boys were all warned away for the night and told to find a place to pass out elsewhere. She couldn't help but smile at the small _x_ beside his name.

A little kiss for her.

_Stop that, Annabelle_, she scolded herself. _He just wants a quick fuck. That's all it is. Don't be caught up in sentiment._

At the bottom of the note, as an afterthought, he wrote, Please leave your clothes on. I want to unwrap you myself. Her stomach knotted and unknotted as she dropped the note on the bedside table and fell onto his bed, taking in the silky sheets that surrounded her. She drew the hangings round herself for security.

She willed herself to stay awake for the hour she was to wait.

The sound of the door opening quietly and shutting again snapped her awake as she was about to doze off. She couldn't tell the time through the hangings as she tried to relax, listening to the shuffling just outside of the bed she was sat on. But it had to be him.

A dark hand – she assumed it was dark; the dorm was pitch black already – reached in and pulled the cord that let the green hangings pull apart, allowing her to take in the sight she couldn't believe was going to be hers for the night.

He had already removed his shirt, exposing his broad, built chest that she found she couldn't take her eyes from. Her cheeks became tinted with pink as she forced her gaze to move to his face. The expected smirk wasn't there; he simply smiled slightly and slid onto the bed, hovering over her.

"You came," he murmured, surprising her when she caught a tinge of relief in his tone. She nodded and blushed when the innuendo that he may or may not have meant to put in there was realized.

She couldn't find her words, and instead found her courage and moved up, pressing her lips to his. For a brief moment, there was no reaction from him, but it was soon replaced with unbridled passion. His arms slid round her, pressing her both against the mattress and his hard frame. She let her fingers slide over his arms, wrapping round his (rather impressive) biceps as he gently touched the edge of the tank top she'd worn for studying.

Gradually, he tugged it off, leaving her feeling quite naked in just her bra. A sound that resembled a low growl was emitted from the back of his throat, which caused a nervous smile on her lips. Next to go were her shorts, and he was careful to remove them slowly, in case she changed her mind.

She was down to just her maroon coloured matching set. Her uncoordinated hands fumbled at his belt, somehow managing to tug it off and chuck it away. His fond smile grows when she tries to even her breathing and slowly undoes his trousers. Once they're past his knees, he kicks them to the floor as well.

His lips attack hers again to will away conversation for the moment. They both feel the other person's heated skin against their own, loving the sensations they receive at certain garments or fine trails of hair pressing into their flesh. She finally has to pull away slightly to take a breath and feels her face burning crimson.

For the first time in her life, everything about her is being shown. She knows she hasn't got the best body; she'd like to be more endowed, or have better hips, or be shorter. But she isn't. And for some reason, Blaise seems to like her just the way she is.

"Annabelle…" he breathes against her jaw, making her heart speed up. "I want to tell you something…" She absently stroked the back of his neck, her eyes fluttering shut, humming her consent to continue. "I'm not doing this just for… the reason I said. That would be insensitive and wrong."

She didn't dare to move as she listened to his confessions. It was difficult not to squirm when his hot breath was tickling her ear. "This isn't for shits and giggles, Annabelle… I don't want to sleep with you just to sleep with you. I think I might-"

The sound of the door being thrust open and slamming against the stone wall beside it echoed through the dorm, making Annabelle shriek and reach for something to cover herself with. Light from the common room and corridor streamed in, exposing the pair lying on the bed as well as their interrupters.

Lying on the floor was a very worn looking Theodore Nott, being beat upon by Draco Malfoy. The blonde was using his fists, his feet, his teeth sometimes to cause as much pain on the shorter boy as possible. But Theo wasn't just letting him. As best he could, he was fighting back, swinging as best his thin arms could. He got a good punch or two in there, but it was nothing compared to Draco's damage to him.

Following through the door that they'd just fallen in through, probably coming because she heard the scream, was a dazed Kenzie, dressed in only a large shirt and pyjama shorts. She wiped away all signs of sleep when she scanned the room and took in every image she could.

"EVERYBODY KNOCK IT OFF!" she called, making everyone still. She glared at them all, especially the pair who were wrestling on the ground. But her attention went briefly to Annabelle and Blaise – the latter of whom was covering her as though he could save her from the sight – and she quirked a brow. "I'll question you later," she said pointedly, then looked at her friend and her… whatever Draco was to her.

"You two will get up and piss off right now! I've had a long day and you two waking me up at half twelve in the morning isn't helping!" Her glare stayed too long on the blonde. "Now get the fuck off of him."

A moment passed before he complied, throwing Theo's head onto the floor and getting up, walking huffily out of the room. She followed instantly, still enraged and needing explanations.

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><p><strong>I basically just wrote pre-smut about my friend.. How should I be feeling?<strong>

**Can I add too that the bit about the fake Mad-Eye was where the idea for this entire story stemmed from? Just a sidenote..**

**REVIEW! :D**


	23. Conclusions

**Soo.. guess who's back?**

**Yes, I am past my due date of the 15th of September, but.. love me anyways? I think it's a pretty good chapter! And it explains shit!**

**I'm going to lose so many fans with what happened to Neville, I can feel it XD**

**Anyways, lots has been happening in the lives of all our girls, but that's unimportant! This chapter is much more crucial!**

**Enjoy! Don't hate me!**

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><p>Sam sat gawking, a hand clasped over her mouth in hopes of hiding it. But it was in vain. Both of them knew her expression of horror was well deserved. With tears in the corners of her eyes, she listened patiently to his story.<p>

The fake Mad-Eye had broken Neville. He'd always been an awkward child, one who didn't believe in himself at any point. From his grandmother belittling him, to Snape never laying off of his inability in Potions, to teasing done by Slytherins, he'd never seen himself as anything but worthless. And fake Mad-Eye took advantage of that.

No one could hear them, with the room silenced and locked. The imposter ripped from a fourth year boy who already believed he could never achieve anything his virginity. Tears, cries, and futile kicks did nothing to stop him. It only fuelled the hate-filled rape. And after he was done, with blood streaming down his leg beneath his trousers, he took the book he was given and scurried away to hide in shame.

By the time the entire tragic tale was uttered, Neville was clinging to Sam with strength he didn't know he possessed, never wanting to let her go as he sobbed into her shoulder. She couldn't muster up the power to stop her own tears from falling down her porcelain face, biting her lip to keep from choking on gasps.

"I'm so sorry, Neville…" she managed to mutter into his neck. This only made him pull her closer. His head was heavy on her shoulder, but she didn't mind. All her heart wanted to do was keep this boy – this clunky, stroppy boy who she had somehow fallen for – as close to her as humanly possible. The dare didn't matter anymore. She felt stinging pangs of guilt but didn't mention them. As both their shirts became soaked with the products of their sorrow, they just sat and rocked in one another's embrace.

"N-Now d'you see why you f-frighten me? Why y-you're unashamed att-ttitude about s-sex scares the living h-hell out of me?" he stuttered. She nodded quickly, her curls sticking to her wet cheeks.

"I'm sorry I ever thought about it. I'm so sorry. I don't want… I mean, I do, but… I can definitely wait," she got out in one breath. He smiled weakly, a sight that only forced more sniffles to her lips.

"You can't. You c-can't go without it-t." She let her wide eyes look at him as he slowly untangled himself from her, but she didn't let his hand go. He didn't try to pull away.

"I will for you," she replied strongly.

Silence fell over them for an eternity. But it wasn't uncomfortable. They just had nothing to say. And that was alright. Somewhere between her pulling him back and their crying fit, they had come to an unspoken agreement that they were together. It didn't have to be voiced. They didn't particularly want it to be. The quiet was their friend right now, and with their fingers interlocked, they would remain in its arms for the night.

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><p>"Who the hell do you think you are?!"<p>

Draco didn't respond to Kenzie's outburst as he stormed around the castle. She had attempted several times once they'd left the dorms to make him stop, but he had a number of inches of height on her, as well as being a solid wall of muscle. _A rather attractive one_, she couldn't help but think, then almost slapped herself for such a thought at such a time.

She finally managed to grab his shoulder and halt his walking in the Entrance Hall. He instantly shrugged her hand off but spun around and looked down at her. The intensity of his glare made her take a step back, but she attempted to counter it as best she could. It almost brought a grin to his thin lips, the way she mocked his anger.

"Answer the question," she ordered. He rolled his eyes.

"Draco Malfoy. If you didn't even know that, then why chase me all the way here?"

"Don't get smart, asshole. What was that little brawl about, huh?" she snapped. Her hair was a mess, falling into her flushed face. Her hands were clenched at her sides, and she was shaking slightly at his sheer audacity to be a smartass at this hour of the morning. _He_ had woken _her_ up! He had _no_ right to act like this was all her fault!

"Nothing that will concern you," was his reply as he looked away from her. Several moments passed of quiet where he felt as though he had bested her.

The burning pain of a palm making harsh contact with his pale cheek told him otherwise. It sent him reeling, making his own hand fly to where hers had been before, clutching the bright red flesh. He was still turned away from her but slowly righted himself. The look of loathing that he was met with wasn't much of a shock, but there was something else there too. It looked like hurt.

"I'm sick of your attitude, Draco! You can think you're the fucking Prince of Slytherin, like you're the only reason that the world revolves, but I know better! I can see through your fucking mask!" she seethed, her chest rising and falling distractingly. He tried to keep his eyes on hers, but found them attracted to the heaving cleavage. As soon as she noticed this, she let out a breathy shriek of repugnance and made to slap him again, but he ducked. "You're an absolute pig!"

"And you're a bitch!" he called right back, taking her aback slightly. He smirked coldly. "Don't look so shocked. You can't go ahead and pretend like I mean something to you, then flirt with Nott and come at me with the hate routine!"

She stood still for a long moment, staring at him in disbelief. Then, slowly, a laugh fell from her mouth. He didn't know what to make of this, what with the slaps beforehand and repugnance for him afterward. The laughter came as a shock.

"You thought I was _flirting_ with _Theo_?" she got out between chuckles. She gasped for breath as she grabbed her stomach, doubling over in giggles. Draco's eyes narrowed.

"I'd definitely call it flirting, Thorne."

"Well, I call it being a friend. You should look into it," she replied. Her face slowly sobered again and she looked up at him. "Besides, I don't hate you."

"You sure as hell act like it," he said quickly, his voice raising. She rolled her eyes.

"I'm passionate about you, I'll agree there. But it isn't hate, asshole."

"Is that so?"

"As a matter of fact, it is." She stood up taller at his defiance of her, her gaze meeting his once more. He matched it easily.

"And what would you call that emotion then? Because if it isn't hate I've been experiencing in return, what the hell could it be?" he asked.

"You won't believe me."

"Try me."

She quirked a brow at him, biting her lip slightly and mustering up her courage as best she could. "Think, Malfoy. You're smart. Sometimes." She smirked a bit.

He couldn't help returning it. "What if I don't want to?"

"I'm not going to think for you."

"You won't be able to," he muttered cockily. She narrowed her eyes.

"What's that supposed to-"

She froze as soon as his lips made contact with hers, but only for a split second before a hand going behind his neck and pulling him closer. His hands slipped round her waist, pressing her closer to him. Neither wanted to breathe as they moved against the other. It was perfect synchronization; sudden and unplanned, yet it was fluid and easy to go along with. Fingers clutched skin gently and they only broke apart when they felt themselves become lightheaded.

Kenzie's head fell to his chest as she gripped his shirt in his hand, trying to consume enough oxygen to form words again. She couldn't be bothered with the way his hand was absently touching her side. Not sexually. Not greedily. Just a soothing movement of his fingertips over her skin.

At long last, she cleared her throat and let out a croaky sound resembling the word _wow_. He laughed quietly and turned her face up to his.

"I think I know what you were talking about, Kenzie," he told her quietly. She grinned slightly and leaned back in for another kiss.

* * *

><p>"Get a room!" someone called out as they left, resulting in Rose flipping them the bird and Ron laughing against her lips. They split only as they heard people entering, with loud voices the resembled their best friends.<p>

"…snogged my best friend!"

"You're a dumbass, Harry, you really are!"

"Why, because I don't cheat?!"

A quiet groan of annoyance came from the pair previously kissing as they looked over the back of the couch they were sharing to find Harry and Eryn stood near the portrait entrance, staring intensely at one another.

"What's going on, children?" Rose asked sternly. Eryn shot her a glare.

"Don't," she warned. The apologetic look she received softened her a bit and she uncrossed her arms. "Please agree with me that Harry is an oblivious idiot."

"I am n-" Harry's denial was cut over by Ron and Rose murmuring something along the lines of agreement. He let his jaw drop. "How?!"

"Mate, she snogged me to get your attention. It took that much to actually make you see that she was sending you signs. Even _I_ got that," Ron chuckled.

"And you're almost as bad as he is," Rose smirked while patting his cheek. Harry glowered.

"I don't see what she wants!" he cried. "Just outright say it, Eryn! Please! Because I don't understand what it is you want!"

"ASK HER!" Rose nearly screamed as she pulled herself up and shoved Ron out of the Gryffindor common room. She gave a wink to the fighting pair before leaving. Harry watched where they had left in bewilderment, turning to ask what she had meant when he caught sight of Eryn's face.

She was biting her lip and trying not to look as though he was breaking her heart. A sigh of discontent left him and he took several steps forward to take her hands. Though she didn't pull away, she didn't return the squeeze he gave them.

"Please just tell me what it is you want," he said quietly, watching her eyes stare at the floor. After a moment, she took a shuddering breath and looked up, her pink hair looking less fluorescent in that moment of sadness.

"I want you to figure it out yourself, Harry. Because if you can't then it doesn't mean enough to you."

He didn't move for another few seconds. He just stood with her fingers laced with hers, trying to formulate words. At long last, he made sure she had his gaze before speaking.

"The only reason I don't want to ask you to be my girlfriend is from fear of you getting hurt." Her eyes showed confusion, which he addressed instantly. "Any girl who meant anything to me got hurt. And you mean too much to me to follow that trend. What if you get put in danger because someone knows you're my girlfriend? What if you end up wounded, or dead, because of your association with me? I can't deal with that."

Eryn's eyes searched his, looking for any lies, but she found none. He was sincere this time. And while she understood the purpose behind his worry, it was stupid. She voiced as much as well. Because it didn't matter if the label was there or not, she was too much in love with him to not be at stake. Yet she would take it to be his.

"I want to be asked. No one has. No one ever will again, I can guarantee it. Please, if I don't mean as much to you as you do to me, then just tell me to get my heartbreak over with. Otherwise, I want to be known to the school – fuck, to the world! – that I am your girlfriend."

They looked at one another for what felt like forever before he gently moved in and kissed her. She returned it easily, her fingers knotting in his mess of black hair. And against her lips, he whispered, "Be my girlfriend, Eryn Winters?"

The smile he got in return along with the nod could have lit up all of England.

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><p><strong>Yay! Happy endings all around! There is one last chapter left, but it's brief and should be up within the week. Don't quote me on that please though. I don't want to let anyone down.<strong>

**REVIEW! :D**


	24. Finale

**Welcome to the last chapter of _How to Seduce the Unwilling Asshole_. I won't bore you with a long author's note. On with the end!**

**(Please read the end author's note.)**

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><p>It was far too cold to be mid-June. According to the thermometer that was outside year-round, it was just above 0 degrees. But then, it was also about nine in the morning on a Saturday. No one was up and about this early, which the girls were all quite thankful for. The population of the school didn't need to witness some possible skinny dipping.<p>

"Well, here we are," Eryn said quietly, cutting the silence. The others chuckled a bit and looked at one another, shuffling to keep warm. Obviously none of them had been prepared for the surprisingly chilled weather (although being on the large wooden platform put in the centre of the Black Lake in their fourth year for the Triwizard Tournament probably didn't help), as they were all stood in tees and jeans and, in Sam's case, a short skirt that came dangerously close to flying up each time a breeze blew in. Only Rose looked alright, having just rolled from bed and was still donning pyjamas and her blanket.

Yes, like a four year old, she had her fuzzy Doctor Who blanket wrapped round her.

"It is time to go over the final payoff of this year's bet," Eryn continued. Her gaze passed over each girl, all of whom stared back. Finally, it stopped on Kenzie, who was stood next to her. "Kenzie Thorne. Your results."

"I have succeeded in getting a kiss from one Draco Malfoy," she said stoically, playing along with the tense attitude. A slight smile tugged at her lips as she thought briefly of the boy who had been such a pain in her arse, but now she couldn't stop wanting to see.

A nod from Eryn and her eyes flicked over to Rose. "Rose Carson. Your results."

"I snogged Ronald," she replied with a yawn. A bit of a laugh came from Sam and the former girl smiled a bit.

"Annabelle Hawkins. Your results."

"I got a kiss from Blaise… And a bit more…" she murmured, looking down at the ground. All eyes widened slightly in surprise and a finger was pointed sternly at her by the pink-haired girl.

"We shall discuss this later," she said in a mockingly warning tone, earning her an eye roll. "Moving on. Samantha Calloway. Your results."

"I did not succeed in fucking Neville Longbottom, I'm afraid," she told them easily. "But I'm not too bothered by it." A few eyebrows were quirked in curiosity, but she shook her head. This was one secret she was keeping from them for Neville. She had sworn.

"And we all know you got your kiss from Harry," Kenzie chuckled. Her friend's face reddened at the mention and a laugh was passed through the circle as they let themselves ease up.

"Well, then that's it, isn't it?" Rose interrupted as the laughter died down. "Sammie, you've got to jump."

"Okay, but can we please promise not to tell the boys anything ever?" Annabelle piped up. Her tone sounded slightly desperate, but it matched the thoughts that had been running through her friend's minds before. If any of them became aware that their sudden interest in had stemmed from a childish betting game, they would all be boyfriend-less in a second.

Simultaneously, they nodded and put their hands on top of one another's in the centre of the circle. A slight smile rested on all their lips when they pulled away. Because they all knew one another's truths. Though it had begun as a bet, it had grown to so much more.

Kenzie had hated Draco. She had described fantasies where he was thrown into a burning house once when he had tried to piss her off. Yet somehow, throughout the course of the year, she had grown fond of his annoying antics.

Eryn had only had a longing crush on Harry. Dating him was a far-off dream that couldn't be achieved in her mind. He wanted Cho Chang, or some other, prettier girl. Yet they were together now, and she knew that he wanted her as much as she did him.

Annabelle had never spoken to Blaise. She didn't know anything about him, besides that he was a general manwhore and took after Draco. Yet he had proven he wasn't. He had broken off any sexual or romantic connection with any other girl for her.

Rose had wanted Ron to die. His quick temper and hers clashed far too often for either of them to be in the same room for too long without a fight breaking out. Yet she pushed between him and Lavender and had taken the place as his favourite girl.

And Sam had only wanted to seduce Neville. He was too breakable, to innocent, to virginal to damage with her sexual reputation. Yet he opened himself up to her like no one else had, and she now couldn't part from him no matter how hard she may have wanted to.

The four girls who weren't sentenced to a dip in the freezing water all took their steps back and turned as Sam stripped down to nothing. Slight laughs bubbled from their lips as she swore under her breath. The wind nipped at her skin, raising goosebumps that made her shiver. Her hair was let down and her shoes were kicked off along with her knee socks as she took a few steps back, looked at where she was headed, and took off at a sprint.

She screamed in euphoria, adrenaline pumping through her veins, as she took the jump off the edge and plummeted downwards. The other girls leant over to see her pale arms flying overhead as she fell in pointed-toes first. Graceful as ever, her hair flew up and she slipped into the rippling blackness with ease.

The others cheered as her head came up into view and laughed when she was cursing uncontrollably. And both actions only heightened when Rose caught sight of something across the lake.

"Oh my God, it's Neville!" she cried out between gasps of amusement, pointing to him. And she was right. As the girls all rolled on the platform, roaring with chuckles and chortles and giggles, Sam was bobbing in the icy lake, and Neville was stood on the shore, watching with wide-eyes.

Sam waved at him with a wide smile. He barely raised his hand in reply as he tried to subtly run away. But there was nothing subtle about his enormously tall body lumbering off. Sam's laugh could be heard from every corner of the castle.

This had been, without a doubt, the best year that the girls had ever had as they had tried and succeeded in seducing a group of unwilling assholes.

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><p><strong>And that's it. That's the end of this story. Another thing I finally managed to finish. And I am actually very proud of this one, as well as the response that it recieved!<strong>

**Thank you to every single person that ever reviewed this, even the nasty flamers (although flames only make me laugh, so no worries!) You are all the reason I continued this. Especially to the girls who this story is about: Kenzie, Eryn, Sam, and Annabelle. The links to their accounts are on my profile.**

**I love you all more than anything. The past 453 days (fucks sake this took forever) have been difficult, but this story had to be finished. Death threats from my lovely friends were a large chunk of why it's done. I'm incredibly happy that I got it done.**

**Yes, that was very sappy. Deal with it.**

**I'll possibly edit it later on, to get rid of the horrifyingly large amount of errors I made while typing quickly or with numb fingers or while people were distracting me. But you all got used to them, so thank you.**

**AND ONE MORE ANNOUNCEMENT. There might possibly be a sequel to this story! I'm not promising anything, but as Eryn, Sam, Kenzie, and I were walking home one day, were thought up chunks of what should happen in a possible sequel. Depending on schoolwork load, my motivation to do so, and if I actually want to commit myself to another year or story, it'll get written.**

**Now that I've got your hopes probably somewhere high up, I think I'll be leaving. Sorry for the intensely long authors note here, and the numerous mistakes in my characters, my plotlines, my spelling, my grammar, and other such things. But I'm only human.**

**Have a wonderful day, my darlings. I love you all.**

**Farewell!**

**-AngelicKat445**

**PS: REVIEW! :D**


	25. Epilogue

**Dearest Darlingest Fans of_ How to Seduce_,**

**My, how long it has been! Why, I remember when you were just up to here! And your hair has gotten so long! How time flies!**

**I would like to inform you all of rather big news! (Well, it's rather big for me, I don't know if you'll find it quite as exciting). As some of you may or may not know, I have posted a sequel to _How to Seduce the Unwilling Asshole_! And yes, it is more than just a oneshot!**

**Follow the girls and their newly-found boyfriends, as well as a few newcomers, as they spend the summer at a lovely little house on the beach: Shell Cottage! They'll laugh! They'll cry! There will be much drama and better writing skills - I hope - from this author! You'll be enthralled by their adventures!**

**So, if any reader of this story was hoping for a sequel, you've got it! And I hope you'll enjoy!**

**Just find the story titled _Post Seduction_!**

**So sorry to bother anyone, but I hope you'll follow the next chapter of their lives just as avidly as I will.**

**Lots of love,**

**Rose**

**aka**

**AngelicKat445**


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